Kiss And Tell
by VanG Ziggy ZA
Summary: When an argument about who's been kissed and who hasn't erupts between Aang and his friends, the Avatar sits them down, and they begin to confess their first kiss. Complete!
1. Chapter 1

Kiss and Tell

_**Ziggy's Corner: My Fourth Avatar story, and like A Mid Winter's Romance, I've Kissed A Girl is also a romance. I hope you enjoy it.**_

"You so have not!" Katara snapped at him. She smiled and almost chuckled at his persistence.

"How can you be so sure?" her brother Sokka snapped. He ran his hand over his brown hair and turned away from her, his heart pounding. "Why would I even lie like that?" he smiled and squinted his eyes, swirling on his heels, "Answer me that," he began, his jaw dropping as he watched her walk away. "Hey come on," he wailed, waving his arms, you just can't walk away when I'm about to win the argument!"

"Grow up, Sokka," his sister snapped. She turned to her brother and looked at him deep in his eyes. She smiled again and shook her head. "I just can't see it," she said. "When did it happen, and who was it that you kissed?"

A lump formed in his throat, and he began to blush. _Thank God Aang's not here right now._ Just at that second the boy avatar returned and looked at his two best friends.

"What's going on?" he asked, looking at Katara.

"Sokka say's he's kissed a girl," she giggled. "Isn't that funny Aang?"

The wind seemed to pickup and blow around them, crickets chirped loudly as the boy stared at the girl. "Not this again," the avatar sighed. He looked over at the poor boy warrior who blushed further and averted his gaze. "Come on Katara, leave him alone."

The girl's mouth dropped and she took a step back. "What! Aang," she squealed. Sokka's face turned back to normal for a moment and he began to laugh.

"Ha, Aang's on my side with this," he roared triumphantly at his sister, thrusting a finger in her direction.

"He is not," she squealed. She turned a very bitter glance at the avatar and narrowed her eyes, the sun making her tan skin glow golden. "Tell him, Aang," she hissed.

"Look, I'm not on anyone's _side,_" the boy said, holding up his arms. "It's just that I know what he's going through." The moment the words slipped through he started blushing, and turned away.

Both of his friends gawked at him, staring at each other. There was a moment of a possible teasing for a second, but as Aang sat on the soft yellow sand, and sighed. Sokka stepped for him first, but tripped on a rock, collapsing face first into the sand. That made the young avatar giggle for a few seconds, and gave Katara the time she needed to get to Aang first.

"What's wrong?" she asked, gently squeezing his shoulders. Her bright blue eyes studied him, as if trying to find a way to dig into his soul, and they seemed to shimmer with hope as his dark chocolate brown ones reflected their gentleness.

"Well … you won't make fun of me if I tell you, will you?" he asked.

The girl sat at his side a few minutes longer, until her eyes grew wide and she gasped. "You too!" she shook her head, no it couldn't be right. _Aang, and air bending monk? _He'd kissed someone.

"Um, Aang, kissing your mom doesn't count," Sokka said, trying to elevate the tension. A second later, a very bitter Katara knocked him to the ground with a coconut to the head.

"He's just kidding, Aang," she said sweetly.

"Yeah, I know," he said in a hoarse voice. "Besides I never knew my mother, or my father. As soon as the air monks were sure I was special, they convinced them to give me to the temples."

"That must have been terrible," Katara groaned, narrowing her eyes.

"I guess, but I had Gyatso, and my friends," he looked at the large white bison and smiled. "Like Appa."

Katara giggled as the bison bleated his love for the avatar and his new friends and flashed slimy teeth at them all.

"So wait," Sokka said, recovering from unconsciousness. "Are you tell me, out of the three of us, Katara's the only one who hasn't been kissed?" Humor racked his voice and he fought the urge to laugh. "Ms. If You Kiss Someone You'll Find Your Better Self?"

"I've kissed someone," she said under her breathe, as she lowered her head. She turned to look at the two of them, and saw their jaws drop.

"You've been kissed?" he railed, fling his arms up. His eyes widened and he seemed to flush. "Who's the freak who had the guts to put his lips on my little sister?"

"Oh come on," she roared, "why is wrong for me to be kissed but okay for you to supposedly be?"

"Because guys are creeps who will take advantage of young girls, just to get what they want, that's why."

Aang considered stepping in between them, but there were times he knew that wouldn't solve anything. He just sat there in the sand, watching them go at it, for a few minutes more.

"If that's the case," she roared back, "then I feel sorry for the girl who decided to give you a sympathy kiss."

"Oh now, that's just below the belt," the boy snapped.

Katara stormed over to her brother and hissed, "I'll show you, below the belt."

"Okay, okay, whoa," Aang said, rushing to his friends, his "family", and pushed them apart with gentle guff of wind. "Look, bitter words aren't going to solve anything. If we're going to get passed this, then it's time we tell our stories." Both of them gasped, and felt the blood rush from their skin.

"You mean, 'Kiss and Tell'?" Katara groaned.

"Unless you really want to go fist to fist with each other, and condemn the world to an eternity of slavery," the boy said with a smile. They looked at each other and back at him. "I need you both, if you deck it out, I won't be able to save anyone. He smiled again and crossed his arms. "So what's it going to be? I'll," he gulped, his bravado slowly slipping away, "I'll even go first."

They looked at him for a few more minutes, back at each other and then with twin sighs, sat in the sand and stared at him as he sat on an old log, rubbing his hands.

"Okay, so here it goes," he said.

_**So, what do you think? It will be interesting to see if this story gets as many reviews as A Mid Winter's Romance. Review and let me know, review, review, review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_Ziggy's Corner:_** **_Whoa! Holy Gobbers! 20 reviews! For only the first chapter? Ye Gods! _** **_I guess you can call this story a hit! Anyway; one explanation and an apology before we get going. First as I'm sure you are all aware, this story was going to be called I've Kissed A Girl (Unless I took out that beginning statement before I submitted the story and left it on my file, in which case, ignore this rambling). I also want to apologize for the bad grammar, I usually double check my work, but when I submitted this story, it was early in the morning, and the last day I had for a week away to house sit at a relative's house and use their net access. This chapter as well as the third and a possible fourth, won't be added until sometime in October, November. I promise these next chappies will be checked until I'm positive they are error free as I can humanly make them. All that being said, at the end of this chapter, I'll be doing reviewer responses, so have fun and enjoy the beginning of Aang's story ! By the way, when you see this mark before and after a paragraph it means that they're talking in the present, until the final paragraphs that is, otherwise it'll mainly feel as if you stepped into a time machine, and went back to the very time period when the kisses happened._**

It was over one hundred years ago. The air monks had just sent me to a metropolis in the Water Nation, for training though at the time I didn't understand why.

You went to the Water Nation a hundred years ago? Cool, what was it like!

Sokka, shut up, I want to hear this!

OWWWW, Enough with the coconuts to the head already!

Hahaha, okay come on guys, calm down. Yeah, I visited all of the nations all those years ago. Anyway like I said, I was sent to the Water Nation by the monks, it was one of the first trips away from the Air Temples, and I was only ten. The city's name was . . .

**Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z**

Toshigawa -- the capital city of the Northeastern Water Nation Islands. Aang raised his head and felt his mouth drop to the floor as he looked at massive stone and jade buildings that shone with the power of the sun, and flowed around the landscape as smooth as the giant waterfalls that surrounded them all. The buildings had to have been at least fifty if not sixty feet in length, and couldn't have been possibly been any younger than three hundred years old. The young air monk shuddered at the power and majesty of the buildings.

Far below the buildings were smaller living quarters where the normal people worked, liven and played in this awesome metropolis. People dressed in light blue and white silk passed by, each one smiling and waving to each other as they passed. Each person had large bright eyes of either blue as the sea, or as green as the jade monoliths around them. A huge massive park rested right in the middle of the city and the young boy gasped in delight.

"Don't be getting any bright ideas young man," the elderly air monk said, clamping his hand on the boy's shoulder. "You know why you are here."

Aang's bright brown eyes dimmed and he lowered his head. "But they look like they're all having so much fun," he moaned, pointing to a group of children playing with a water ball and a net.

"You're an air bender, Aang, not a water bender," the old man said.

"Then why do the temples keep sending me to the other nations to train then?" the boy asked, his lower lip shaking.

"When you are older, you will understand," the gruff old man said, and began to push the boy toward one of the larger jade buildings. The elderly air monk looked like a brittle old man, but Aang had heard stories that when push came to shove, he could fight like a rabid tiger. Driatsyo looked down at the boy as the walked and sighed. "That look might work on old doddering fools like Gyatso, Aang, but not on me." He looked at the boy again and sighed even louder, escorting the boy into his future role as avatar.

The training began almost immediately after they entered the structure. Aang was tested on his knowledge of the Water Nation, on water bending techniques, as well as his air bending skills. He was also tested on his math skills, his skills at negotiating, and for some reason peace keeping skills. Hour went after hour, and the boy's mood grew grayer and grayer with each ticking of the grandfather clock that was within the examine room. Finally the water bender who had quizzed him for so long tapped her long chin, and narrowed her eyes, motioning the monk to walk out of the room with her. The closed and locked the door, leaving the young air monk all alone.

The room was rectangular in shape, just as Aang had thought a classroom would look like, with a large black board in front of the room, and a small handful of desks scattered around in four perfect lines, although the air monk was the only one who was "attending" class. There was no large teacher's desk or chair; instead his instructor had paced back and forth while she had questioned him, as if she were interrogating him for committing some kind of crime. Twelve medium sized lamps hung high in the ceiling, none of which were lighted as it was the middle of the day, but it did mean that children were taught here at night.

At first Aang considered listening at the door, but it was solid stone, laced over with jade crystals; no sound would get in or out of that room. Aang stuck his tongue out in thought trying to decide if he should use his skills with air and what he knew of water to try to hear, but an image of Gyatso entered his mind, shaking his head with a playful, understanding smile on his face, but with disappointment all the same.

The grandfather clock continued to tick as the boy sat there, his back aching as he sat perfectly still in his seat, his heart aching to run out and play with the children that he had seen in the field. Another hour past, and then a half hour. _What could they be talking about for so long? Maybe they want to see if I'll get out? Maybe it's another test?_

At that thought, Aang smiled mischievously and eyed a nearby window. It was open with a slight slant, so air could come in, and the boy could breathe, but not enough that he could get out of the room. That was, it was slanted just right so that a _normal_ boy would not be able to squeeze out, but Aang was not a normal boy.

The air monk sneaked over to it, eyes on the window, and ears to the door, in case they might open it as he tried to make his escape. If asked what he was doing if he got caught, he'd tell them that he had assumed that it was a test to see how long he was confined in the building before breaking out. It made sense, at least to a ten year old it did.

You didn't! I can't believe you'd sneak out on a test!

Do I have to hit you with something harder than a coconut? Let Aang continue, please.

So as I was saying . . .

It took him a few minutes to decide the best possible way to squeeze air around the slanted window so that it would open without making too much noise or too much pressure and breaking it completely. The air monk pulled his hands forward and slowly back, as if he were grabbing on a rope as was yanking it forward. Gently air started to push pass the window, and slipped passed the gears, lowering the window inch by inch until the glass pane was level with the gaping hole in the wall.

The boy looked pleased at his accomplishment and used another gust of air to raise himself to the window's level, preparing to crawl out of it, when the door unlocked, and the water bender and Driatsyo entered the room, their eyes widening.

"What are you doing, Aang?" the air monk snapped, rushing over to the window. The old man grabbed the boy by his ankle and gave a little yank, pulling him back to the ground.

Aang groaned, and felt sore . . . mostly in the pride department. However; other than that, he was fine. He rose to his feet and glared up at his elderly instructor. "You were gone for so long; I thought it was a test to see if I could escape from a locked room."

"Young man, if you think that answer is going to fly," the teacher snapped.

Driatsyo glared down with him with a sigh, and then his shoulders sagged. He smiled, and to the astonishment of the woman he began chuckling. "Well I suppose that you just proved that you could probably do just that," he said with a twinkle in his eye. "But next time try and be a little more patient," he said, patting the boy on his head. "You must learn patience."

"This is ridiculous," the woman snapped. "If this had been some kind of test, why would the window have been opened at all?"

Driatsyo swirled to face her, and narrowed his eyes. "Madame, the boy is special, that much is true, but he's not so special that he can control all of his wind bending abilities yet. He probably figured that you knew that, and gave him some slack, so he could use the abilities he does have to the best of his ability, and not put too much strain on him."

"You doddering, senile old fool," the woman's only response was. She stared at the two air benders for a long time before groaning in exasperation and turning on her heels to leave. "The tests are over for today. I suggest you find the young monk a room for the night and let him sleep. He'll need it for the next couple of weeks."

Aang sighed as she left and turned up to his mentor. "I apologize, Master Driatsyo," he said, his voice lower and embarrassed.

The elderly man put a hand on the boy's head and smiled. "Apology accepted, young air monk. But again, you must learn patience. Do you understand?" The boy nodded and the elderly man chuckled.

"Doddering old fool am I?" he said with a wheeze of laughter. "I guess Gyatso and I aren't that different as I thought we were." The two air benders laughed a long time, and went to find an inn to spend their days and nights in the city, when a burst of movement flashed between the two of them, followed by cries of outrage.

"Stop her," a constable shouted, pointing at a young girl with light brown skin, and a long brown pony tail that flowed down her back dressed in a green parka ran by. "She's a thief!"

The girl stopped for a second, and looked at the two air monks, her large brown eyes glowing in the late afternoon sunlight. She seemed to scowl at the elderly monk, until his gaze rested firmly on her, and then turned her attention to Aang; who stared at her slack jawed.

Aang had of course seen young girls his own age, as the temple pushed him all over the world, training him with this, or with that. The Eastern Air Temple was full of young air nuns, but the boy had never seen a girl with such an exotic . . . aura. He blinked for a few seconds and then smiled, being rewarded with a stern scowl.

"Have a picture painted, it'll last longer," she snapped, and went to turn a corner. A gust of air raised her off her feet and blasted her back toward the monks, where the constable quickly clamped his iron hands on her shoulders.

"Let me go," I didn't do anything wrong," she howled. The girl looked eleven years old, and smelled of salt water. Anxious to be free from her captor, she clamped down on his arm and bit until she punctured skin. In the sky thunder appeared from no where and lightning flashed.

The constable threw his head back and howled in agony, dropping the girl, but not before he snapped a small purse from her waist and snapped it off of her belt. The meaty man held the bag up in the air and squeezed tight, as if imagining that he was choking the girl's throat. "This little beggar stole this money from an upper citizen," the officer snarled.

"I did not," she snapped, forcing herself not to cry. "That was a gift for my family!"

"And what family would that be?" the officer chuckled, "the rats and Sori Fish you live with down by the docks?" He bent over her and narrowed his eyes. "I watched you take that money when he wasn't looking. That didn't seem like a 'donation' to me."

"What's an upper citizen?" Aang asked Driatsyo.

"In this town it is the senators or the merchants of the hills, those who live in the jade buildings we were just in," the air monk explained. "Most of the people like in the center of the city, in small stone buildings," he sighed, he hadn't wanted Aang to see that, "and the poorer live near the rivers and the beach, making whatever shelter they can."

The boy frowned and looked around the massive city. "But there's so much space, why not share the buildings and the food?"

"Mind your own business," both the thief and the constable snapped at him.

Two thoughts ran through the boy's mind then. Immediately he knew that he didn't like the officer, and just as equally he felt a strange attraction to this girl. He offered her another smile, but her scowl sent him back reeling.

"I would suggest that you don't associate yourself with the likes of her," the officer said, his eyes studying the boy and the girl. "Being an air monk, you should want to keep your reputation clean."

The lawman then turned to Driatsyo and nodded his head. "Besides, the upper citizen is not the only one she has stolen from," he snatched a second bag from the girl, still sitting on the ground, tears biting her eyes, and went to hand it back to the monk. "I believe this is yours."

Aang gasped as he looked at Driatsyo's coin purse in the officer's hand and looked at the thief, his heart breaking a little. It quickly healed as he reminded himself that there was more than enough money in there, and Driatsyo usually took more than one coin purse for just an occasion.

The monk smiled and shook his head. "No, no officer, I can't speak for the upper citizen, but I had donated that to her."

The large man took a step back and gasped. "What?"

"What?" cried the young thief, more lightning struck across the sky.

"What?" Even Aang had to ask. He looked at his mentor and frowned.

"No one can take from me, what I do not want them to," the air monk said with a smug smile.

Aang shrugged and crossed his arms, what the elderly monk said was true, Driatsyo was very aware of his surroundings.

"Then how is it that you didn't know she had made off with your money?" the officer snapped.

"I told you, it was a donation," the older man said, offering another smile.

The constable stood there very unsure for the longest amount of time, and then narrowed his eyes, grabbing the girl by her shoulder. "That maybe true, but there is still the matter of her thievery of the upper citizen."

"How much did she take?" the monk asked, cocking his head.

"It doesn't matter how much, justice has to be made for what she has done," he said, looking down at her. The early evening air brushed through his thick brown hair and he smiled down at her. "I've been hunting this one for a long time, and finally I caught her slipping up."

Driatsyo shrugged and turned to Aang. "We should be going; I have to find an inn for you and see you off to sleep before I find the upper citizen and see how much has been stolen from him, and pay it back."

"I thought I said to stay out of this," both the thief and the constable howled in rage. There was even more lightning now, and storm clouds seemed to materialize out of nowhere.

"Damn bizarre weather patterns," the constable hissed, gawking upwards to the sky.

Driatsyo gave the girl a kindly smile, and then turned to the officer, his grin turning dark. "No, you told Aang to stay out of this; you made no mention of me." The officer opened his mouth to speak, but the air monk raised a finger and shut him up. "And I'm pretty sure I know whose purse that is that you are holding. If I'm right, I'm sure I'll have this matter taken care of very soon."

With that, the two monks walked off into the distance, and registered into an inn. Driatsyo indeed found the upper citizen, an old friend of the monk, and the man indeed agreed to drop the charges against the girl, of course it cost the monk dearly, but he was glad to do it, and then made sure his donation was handed over to her by the very same, bullying constable who had made the arrest.

**Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z Z**

"I stayed up late that night, thinking all about her, I don't really know why. My gut told me that it was just a one time incident, that I'd never see her again. She wasn't very happy that we had gotten involved, and told Master Driatsyo that both he and I could frag off." Aang smiled at the memory and sighed, stretching as he looked at his two friends, his mind once again firmly in the present.

"Aang, that's horrible! I don't even know why you even bothered to fall for a girl like that!" Katara was scowling, and for some reason the young avatar could not figure out was clenching a tree branch with her left hand so tight it almost nearly snapped in half, her eyes twitching as if she had salt water in them.

Sokka looked at the two of them and cocked his head blinking dumbly. "Hey, wait, I thought we were talking about our first kisses here." His eyes caught his sister rising to her feet, raising the stick she was holding over her head, and he shielded himself from her wrath. "Katara, you put that stick down NOW!" he wailed.

Aang chuckled and shook his head, "We are, you guy's. But that was just my first encounter with her, what happened afterwards in the weeks that followed, well, that's what was REALLY horrible." The thought of that memory made the young hero frown, and shudder.

"So? What happened?" Katara had started to calm down, and was now sitting on the log where she had been for most of the story.

Aang smiled at Katara and rose to his feet, stretching. "Sorry Katara, I have to save that for a little later." He turned and began walking away.

"Hey, wait a minute, where are you going?" Sokka called as he reached out to him.

"Bathroom break," the boy avatar said with a bright grin. He chuckled as the words knocked his friends to their backs and put his hand on the back of his head. "I'll finish my story when I get back. You guys can talk between yourselves over who should go next while I'm gone, so we can keep going after I finish my story." He waved to his friends and disappeared around a corner. "See you in a couple of minutes!"

_**Okay, I hope you've all enjoyed chapter two! Yep, I'm a big meanie cutting it off just as the tension gets great, but heck, keep them on their seats for more, that's what I've always heard anyway. And good things are worth waiting for! Besides I plan on updating at least two chapters, so you'll not wait long to see or read Aang's first kiss. For those of you who wanted an Aang/Katara kiss, sorry, I had other ideas, although don't leave, you might get to see something you'll like later. Now to my reviewers:**_

_**Sanriochica333: All big brothers are the same I guess, of course I have no little sister pouts but I'd probably be the same as your brother and Sokka, its just our protective "yeah I'm a guy, but all guy's are some kind of level 'dirt bag'" philosophy with their little sisters. Hey at least he looks out for you. Anyway thank you for the kind words.**_

**_Kayko15: Yep, and if you ask me, I stopped just as it was getting interesting with this chapter too. Its my way of having you come back for more and more ! And thanks for the nice comments._**

**_Kim: You might just get your wish, of course there's no saying that she didn't kiss someone else first, or even that she has had only one kiss. Wouldn't that just drive Sokka nuts! Are any of you who have reviewed after 9/10 friends of Kim's? Let me know, otherwise, for those friends of Kim's whose computers work right, review! I'd like to see what you think too! Anyway that you so much for taking the time to review Kim, it means a lot to me ._**

_**Dragonsfire: Like I told you all in the begin of these review answers, the first kiss wasn't Aang and Katara, but hold on, you'll like something you see.**_

**_crzysheelf: AH! Okay you've talked me into updating LOL! Thank you for the compliment ._**

**_btrfli 123:LOL, Well you're getting more, but I doubt anyone would continue to hold interest for millions of years from now with this story ._**

_**Hotspur: One of my following Avatar fans, thank you for yet another great review. You now know who, kissed Aang for the first time, and come next chap, you'll know more about her, and her name too! **_

_**Mexman 1993: Thanks for the compliment. But sorry Katara does not give Aang his first kiss. Besides it makes no sense, why would she get so shocked that he admitted to being kissed, if she was the one who did it? But don't fret, just keep reading.**_

_**Mystic Water Bender3: I most definitely wanted humor in this story, and wanted it to be very light and warm hearted (not fuzzy feeling warm, but warm heated to put the reader to ease), so thank you. I'm so glad you liked it. And hopefully you enjoy this new chapter and the next of them as well. Thanks for the compliments.**_

_**The Next Avatar: Er, ah, yes I AM thirty. Lol Hopefully that's not a problem for you, but on another note, what did you think of the story?**_

_**RealiTBYte101: Interesting name, anyway thanks for the compliments. As I said before you've seen the girl who will eventually kiss Aang, next chapter you'll know more about her, as well as her name.**_

_**aangsair: Well, sorry for not giving you the best gift of a Katara/ Aang first kiss, but keep reading for some interesting developments. Thanks for the compliments.**_

_**FlamesofHisheart: Well somebody got his or her wish, Lol. Nope the day I write an Aang/Koko first kiss, is the day they wheel me out of my home in a wheelchair and take me to the old foggies home. And since as The Next Avatar clearly pointed out, I'm only a very young thirty year old, that ain't likely to happen any time soon. Koko was too spoiled a character if you ask me. Keep reading the next chappie, to find out Aang's real first kisser's name.**_

_**Flying Green Flamingo: Thank you. These next two, possible three chapters should be on line sometime in October or November, so I hope that's soon enough for you. **_

_**sokkalover: Okay, okay this is an update, and the third chapter you'll see the big kiss, for Aang anyway. If its not the one you wanted, well, as I've told many a fans so far, keep reading.**_

**_starchic: Kool, so from the sounds of it, I'm the very first fan that anyone knows about who's written a historical background to why the war began, and now the first that anyone knows about so far to write a fanfic where they talk about their first kisses. Awesome! As you can clearly seem I am still going! Thanks for the review ._**

_**AmayaWhiteWolf: You get your wish, here's more, and thanks for the compliments. And, ohhh, you must be a psychic because one of your guesses does indeed happen!**_

_**Raving-Lunatic: Whoa, okay here's more! Chapter three tells Aang's first kisser's name, and the following chapters you learn about the other two companion's first kisses, so keep reading. Thanks for the compliments.**_

_**PyhcoDancingBookworm: Um, okay why do most of my fans have beginning names that either are, or sound like, or mean psycho? Of course I could be misunderstand your name dear, or dude, so sorry if that's the case, but if its not, why do all the "crazy" fanfic fans flock to me? gulps you're all not going to hunt me down and rip of my clothes to sell on E-Bay are you? LOL, anyway, you get your wish, as of this chapter their stories are being told.**_

_**Cat-san: Aren't I just though, hehehe! Well I hope you still think so with this chapter.**_

_**Whew, and that's it for now, good thing I made myself write this chapter before there were more of you! This chapter might have gone on for ages! And then none of you would have gotten to see the thief's name. Or read about Sokka's or Katara's first kisses for that matter. So anyway sit back, relax and enjoy the third chapter, cuss here it comes! **_


	3. Chapter 3

**_It's a good thing that I decided to write chapter two when I did, two more reviews came in after I finished, making this story, chapter one anyway, twenty-two reviews, not bad! A MidWinter's Romance is the top of the league with thirty-two reviews, and my Sly Cooper is the silver metal winner with twenty-nine reviews. If I were to combine three of my four Avatar stories, I have over sixty reviews, kool, but why has no one reviewed the Fire Hunt? Hangs head low and pouts oh well, I'll just concentrate on this for right now. You all wanted to see Aang's kiss, now you will!_**

So, what happened Aang?

Yeah, it seemed like you took five days to pee!

Will you stop this! Let Aang continue with this story!

Well, I never did see that girl for a very long time. In fact it was almost three months, and my training in the city was almost complete when . . .

_z z z z z z z z z z_

Aang felt his legs leave the ground as he raced through the streets of Toshigawa, his heart slammed against his chest as he ran, and his hands went through the motions of constructing the air around his lower body into a tight ball. The boy monk leapt into the air, and came crashing down into a vendor's box of tomatoes, the fifth time this week that he had managed this stunt.

At first he was afraid that he would be in trouble, and looked up sheepishly at the tall thirty something man. His hair was long and browner than mud, flowing down his brood shoulders, and stopping at the middle of his back. His green eyes shined with amusement and a little frustration as he looked at the boy. "Late again, young monk?" he asked, his voice booming through the streets.

Aang smiled and stroked his bald head. "Sorry Tenshi," he chuckled.

"Monk Driatsyo isn't going to keep paying for your damages, Aang," the tall man sniggered as he helped the boy to his feet, and brushed off his damaged produce off of him. Tenshi had been one of the very few merchants with a source of humor in this town, and Aang was lucky he had ran into him than someone like Lysta, who would have skinned his hide with her thick dragon skin belt if she was there.

The merchant pointed toward the main hall and nodded. "Well Aang, I would suggest that you keep going, or you'll miss your final exam."

Aang bowed out of respect and, his brown eyes twinkling with joy and relief. "Thank you Tenshi, I will." The boy turned and rushed toward the building, giggling as the merchant warned him to steer clear of any other merchants along the way. His heart ached that he couldn't play today, as he had been allowed to during the weekend, but he and Driatsyo had were told to return to the Air Temples no later than the third moon of the month, and that was three days from now, which meant the final test would have to be preformed earlier than expected.

Aang ran into the building, at top notch speed, his face turning upwards into a smug beam as he allowed the air to move him at speeds that most humans would never imagine going. Training in this big city was reaping all rewards left and right as far as his talents went, and yet there was something very empty that he felt about Toshigawa. A certain someone he desperately had hoped to see, even a glimmer of her hair at least once – but to no avail. The monk ran up the five stories of the building, arching left and right as he passed people, and stopped short of the examination room door. The boy caught his breathe and looked around the hall, biting his lip as he hoped to see no one he knew, tapping a certain foot and looking very irritated at him. And Driatsyo would have been a little ticked off at his tardiness too!

But to his surprise there was no one here, not even the secretary that normally sat at the desk in the far side of the hall, paging through important scrolls and pressing her finger against her lips to silence the boy if he grew too rowdy. There were no plants, no picture frames, and no plaques that read which room was which. If this had been Aang's first trip to the hall, he'd be totally and completely lost.

It was unsettling standing there, the only life in the hall, the only sign that there had been human contact with the building at all, despite it being there. Aang blinked and called out, but heard only his voice bounce from wall to wall and down a corner as he stood there. The boy frowned and turned to the dark brown door, studying it as if he thought it might provide him with answers. Aang blinked a few more times, and opened the door, walking in.

I wish I hadn't done that, what I saw next still haunts my dreams to this day.

What did you see?

It was the thief's doing wasn't it?

Katara, now who's not letting him finish his story? Hey, wait, what are you doing with that scarf? Why are you coming at me with it? WAIT!1

Will you two stop! I'll tell you all ready!

Tables were overturned, chairs broken, the lamps were knocked down and Aang hurried to put out the flames from their fire, but why they had been lighted during the day, he had no idea. Finally, he turned to face one of the corners, and saw the broken body of Driatsyo lying on the floor. The air monk gasped and rushed to his mentor's aide, but screeched as a hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he felt himself spinning around. His eyes widened and he shook his head, there stood the one person he had wanted to see for these few months, and she was bloody and her glare the stare of a raved animal. Aang used his air bending skills and shoved his body away from her grasp, grabbing a glider that his mentor had bought him just the other day.

"What did you do?" Aang growled. "He helped pay off your debt, and this is the way you thank him?"

"I did nothing of the sort," the girl growled, drying blood off of her hands with her clothes, and scowling at the action. "I was told to come here, when I did, he was already dead."

Aang crotched and raised his glider in a defensive position. "You are a liar! To think, to think I actually . . . I actually," his voice became lower and he lowered his guard for just a split second.

The girl rolled her eyes and puffed out a breath of air. "Oh please," she sighed. She looked at him, and seemed startled at his hurt reaction. "Look, I didn't mean . . .," she began, and then thought better of it. "I'm sorry, okay? But I didn't kill your grandfather."

"He wasn't my grandfather, he was my mentor, my friend, and you killed him!" Aang roared, he rushed forward and caught the girl by her shoulders, pinning her to the blackboard. "Why?"

"I told you he was dead when I got here!" the girl roared raising her knees and pushing the air monk away with a powerful blow of her own. "I received a letter from him asking me to meet him here, he said he wanted to tell me about something, and I guess I owed him so I came, that's all."

Aang opened him mouth to speak, to shout something at the girl, and then closed it, looking over at the body as he did. He blinked. Driatsyo was not a letter writer, he hated it, and got out of it whenever he could. If Driatsyo had wanted to say something to the girl, he'd do it right out and forward, which was much more his style. "Do you still have the letter?"

"I did, until the teacher of the school attacked me, and burned it," she said. She looked at the monk and shook his head. "Look, if you don't believe me fine, but it's not my fault."

"Actually it is," the monk said. "It looks like you killed Driatsyo, and killing an air monk is a crime around the world, so I would have to take you to the temples, and they'd question you, if you've got nothing to hide, then you'll come quietly."

"And why should they believe anything from someone from the likes of me?" the thief asked, her long brown hair still tied in a pony tail flowing over her shoulder. She glowered at him and crossed her arms.

"Look, we're not like the rest of the world, we don't judge based on how you live your life, or where you come from," the boy began his mind hoping that she might be telling him the truth, but the rest of his senses telling him it was false to hope so.

"Stop looking at me like that," the girl screamed, her eyes filling with tears. "I hate it, I HATE it! Do you have any idea what it's like? People look at me and they either see a poor little girl that fate turned its back on, or they see a filthy beggar who the gods were right to smite down! They don't even bother to ask me my name before they judge me!" Her body was shaking, and as Aang tried to walk toward her, she retreated into a corner, tears running down her cheeks as if they belonged to a water fall. Outside he could hear thunder rumble and lightning flash.

"So, what is your name?" the boy asked.

She blinked at him and cocked her head. "What?"

"Your name, what is it?" he asked with a smile.

She blinked again, and lowered her head. "Kritana," she said her voice so soft and tender that it would be easier to slice through it, than a tissue paper.

"I'm Aang," he said.

"Everyone in the city knows who _you_ are," she said, slinking to her feet. "It took me a while too, but eventually I learned who you were."

"So, Kritana, when did you get this letter?" Aang stroked his chin and began pacing back and forth. He had a good talent at reading people, when not too emotional, and though the death of his mentor still burned in his chest, he had a strong feeling that it was not this girl who killed him.

"A few hours ago," she said. "Early in the morning; just as the sun had begun to rise. It asked me to meet him here, just a little while ago, and as I told you, when I arrived, he was dead, and then your teacher rushed in here, and before I got a chance to explain, attacked me, and burned the letter."

Aang lowered his head and began pacing back and forth some more, his brow turned downward thoughtfully.

"Could you please not do that Aang," Kritana asked, "it's annoying."

"Sorry, but I don't understand why my teacher would burn the letter?" He frowned, went to begin pacing and then stopped as she glared at him with a smile. "Sorry." He blinked and sighed. "Maybe we should go to the regulator chief and have him brought in?" he asked of the legal officer in control of the city.

"Why do you think I came up from you from behind?" Kritana said. "I _do_ have a few friends in this city. I had one of the go to the regulator chief, but something happened."

"That doesn't make sense either," Aang shouted, and stroked his chin again. "Maybe my teacher told him what she had seen?" A moment later Aang could hear commotion out of the building and he rushed to the window, gasping as he saw dozens of officers rushing toward it.

"Kritana, why would you come back to the crime scene anyway?" Aang asked, looking at the girl.

"I saw you heading this way, when I was ready to leave, and decided to warn you," the girl said. When she saw the blank face she looked at the window and shivered. "They didn't accuse just me."

Aang's mouth dropped to his feet and he blinked. "My teacher said I was part of it? But, but that's crazy! Why would she do that?"

"That's what the regulator chief asked too," the girl said. "Apparently he's gone missing, and the constable is now in charge."

The commotion was now coming inside the building, and Aang's mind began to race. They couldn't stay here anymore, and judging from those angry sounding cries, there would be no explaining their situation. "We've got to get out of here," he said.

"Thank you Sherlock Holmes," she hissed. "But how are we going to get out of here?"

Aang smiled and grabbed Kritana's wrist, pulling her to his body, and blushing slightly, as did she. "You do know what an air bender can do, right?" He winked, concentrated on the window, and before she could protest flung them out towards the open air.

They soared out into the open air, both screaming at the top of their lungs as the ground beneath them came racing up toward them to met their bodies, and then they laughed as Aang concentrated and used another gust of air over his legs to springboard them onto a silver gray roof of another building, way over the heads of the angry mob. Aang clutched on to Kritana's wrist tighter and yanked her forward, rushing to the edge of the roof, and bouncing off, as if he were jumping on a trampoline. The girl looked frightened at first, but her features were now turning to delight, as they bounced from roof to roof, until they were nearly at the border of the city.

Aang looked at her and back at the crowd. "You should be able to slide down from here, and make your escape into the woods. If you're quick enough you might just make the ferry."

Kritana's smile turned upside down and she cocked a head. "Who say's I'm leaving?"

"It's kind of dangerous here now," the boy shrugged. "I just thought it might be easier if we split up, and I figure this mystery out."

"So I'm a hindrance?" she shouted, waving her arms about. Thunder began to rumble off in the distance.

"I didn't say that, I just wanted to get you to safety," the boy said, taking a step back away from her. The sky was darkening now, as large rain clouds hovered over the city. "If you want to stay then go ahead, I won't stop you."

Kritana scowled at the boy, her chest rising and falling, and her eyes studied him with such intensity that they literally were glowing. "I was born in this city, lived in it; I know every corner, every shadow you'd have to slink through to do your little investigation." Now she was pacing, one eye on him, the other on the crowds, grumbling on having lost the pair; though she knew it would only be a matter of time before they'd discover what had happened to them. "And I want to know who killed your gran—your mentor too. He was one of the few outsiders who took pity on me." She smiled and poked him in the ribs, "So yeah, I'm staying."

They stared at each other for a long time, longer than either of them should have taken. Brown shining eyes, met brown radiate eyes, their bodies breathing and exhaling air in perfect rhythm, their chests rising and falling in unison. Aang blinked first and swallowed, slightly turning his head, when she caught his chin with her open palm and held his gaze in her own. Kritana smiled and cocked her head to one side, slowly approaching the young air monk, whose heart was now beating out of rhythm, his chest hurting him, but he didn't mind, he didn't care, somehow this was coming, and he knew it wasn't possible to stop it, nor did he want to.

Aang were you out of your mind! That's how you got your first kiss?

Katara, shut up, it's just starting to get really good! Although for the record Aang, you should never let the ladies make the first move, it doesn't look very professional. OWWW Why'd you hit me with that coconut again!

Because nothing else was working as effectively as that!

Guys, guys come on, the story's not over yet, and besides, the two of you are starting to freak me out! I mean Katara, you've been holding on to that long with your hands so tight it kinda looks like your going to snap it in half, and Sokka, you're about ready to fall right off your log.

If you'd notice, I did, thanks to a certain young sister's fruit to my noggin.

Might I remind you we're doing these stories so we _don't_ kill each other? Sigh, Katara, relax, Kritana _was_ going to kiss me then, but it didn't quite happen as we wanted it too . . .

The two of them stood there, closer and closer to one another, their eyes shut, their lips puckering, as the young air monk's heart raced. Just as it seemed like their lips would met, lighting struck. Aang had heard about a first kiss being like fireworks going off in the sky, but he didn't think the saying was literal, and as he opened his eyes he realized that it was in reality, just lightning. But that didn't stop the citizens from following the lightning strike, and looking in their direction.

Kritana's eyes widened and she shot back as if she had been poked with a white hot metal prong. "I-I shouldn't have done that, I'm sorry." Once again, tears began to roll down her cheeks, and Aang frowned shaking his head.

"Look, we both kinda got caught up in the moment, but let's just get out of here, maybe go to one of those dark alleys you mentioned. If we can just get enough information, we should be okay."

_z z z z z z z z z z_

They'd hidden for two days, and the time was quickly coming for Aang to return home, that was, if the Air Temple didn't fall for the lies of the Constable and the teacher, and decide to help hunt the young detectives down. There always seemed to be a break in the case, always a teasing little bit of information, but just like that janganut pudding, once you had just a bite, and went back for more, it was gone, snatched in the hands of someone else.

The closest they had come was the hiding place of the regulator chief's location, but when they got there, someone, whoever had taken him away. It was enough to bring the ten year old air bender to his tears of his own. Why was this happening, what was he missing? He began pacing back and forth, ignoring the eyes of his companion as he moved.

"If I don't do something like this, I'm going to lose my mind," he told her the last time she asked him to stop. There was something, something he had forgotten, missed. Was it something Driatsyo had said? Aang sat down and cross his legs, stroking his pounding bald head. Not only were they always just one fingertip away from clues, but for some reason, there was always clouds and lightning flashing that would give them away to the angry mobs, and they'd have to run. Not to mention that whenever they were near anything with water it would act violently.

"Kritana, what do you know about the Constable?" he asked for like the umpteenth time.

"Everything I told you about him is all I know, Aang," she said. "He's a bully who likes to make trouble for everyone, except for the Upper Citizens, and even they can't stand him. He hopes to one day become a top cop I guess you'd say, maybe even mayor, and then, then I don't know what."

"I just can't understand why my teacher would say that I helped kill Driatsyo, unless the constable got to her and bullied her into saying I did."

"I doubt that Aang," she said, her mind racing in a thousand directions. "He worships the ground she walks on, she thinks he's a god, high above the 'regular' people, and . . .," she stopped short and her eyes widened so far they nearly exploded. Overhead thunder roared and lightning flashed. "I'm an idiot!" she shrieked.

"Not this again," Aang cried, leaping to his feet as his faced stared into the sky. "Go away, we don't want you." Then he realized what she had said, and spun toward her, slinking further under the bridge where they were hidden. "Wait, why are you an idiot?"

"They were in on it!" she cried. "Your teacher is the wife of the constable, Aang, I think she's the one who killed Driatsyo."

Aang looked at her, his mouth flinging open and shook his head. _Listen to what she say's Aang, but don't give too much away, there's not much trustworthy about her. _"I'm an idiot too! How could I have forgotten what he said about her?" He turned and told the girl what his mentor had said. "I thought it was because she was so strict, so mean, that maybe because she was from the outside of the Temples. But he had sensed her darkness." He frowned, "He wouldn't have trusted her alone, and she couldn't have killed him. But her husband could." More lightning flashed as he spoke, but neither one seemed to be able to move.

"And then he wrote the note, and she waited for me to take the bait!" the young thief shrieked with rage and more lightning flashed overhead.

"My, my, what cleaver little mink rats," cooed a dark voice to the side of them. They turned and gasped as the constable and his wife, Aang's teacher, along with a few other townsfolk stood their expressions dark and livid. "But even I attracted the interest of your beloved mentor, so I had to hire out to do the job," he said, motioning to the others.

"You monster," Aang roared. He shot forward and launched himself at the constable, but was knocked back with a blast of fire, coming from the fingertips of his wife. "A fire bender?"

"A commander in the Fire Lord Sozen's army," she said, raising an eyebrow. "You have interesting talents Aang, very interesting. My lord would like to speak with you very much."

"Stay away from him," Kritana screeched. She rushed forward and slashed at the Fire Commander, but shrieked as the older woman clutched her arm and spun her around, bending her arm behind her back.

"What should I do with this one?" she cackled.

"She's of no interest, just a no good lousy thief," the constable chuckled. "No one will even miss her when she's gone."

"You don't know anything," Aang shouted, leaping into the air, "her name is Kritana, and she's no thief." The constable raised a staff and began twirling it, ready to strike, but a gust of air ripped it from his fingers.

"Kill that brat," he roared at his underlings.

"No, the Fire Lord wants him alive," the teacher shouted, twisting Kritana's arm tighter. Above the battle lightning and thunder screamed and howled, flashed and exploded.

"I won't let you hurt her," Aang cried, light blue energy swarming through his body. "I won't let you hurt anyone." The boy hovered in the air, amid frightened whispers and shaking bodies, and sent a small tornado down on his foes, knocking all of them to their feet. When the energy was drained, he dropped to the ground, and gasped for air.

"Aang," Kritana cried.

"Take him now," the constable snapped. A second passed, and then another. He frowned and looked at his goons, who were fleeing into the distance. "You idiots, he can't even fight anymore. Come back here, he can't even fight!"

"I can," called a booming, echoing voice. The constable and his wife looked at the source of it, and the evil fire bender released the girl she was holding and shook her head.

"No, no they're all gone! We killed them all years ago," she whispered.

Kritana's body was glowing with yellow light, and where her brown eyes had been, there were now bright white orbs. Lightning struck across her body, but she didn't even seem to be phased. Water rushed around her body and splashed across her clothes, but the combination didn't seem to faze her either.

Aang had heard stories, but that's all they were. He never thought he'd actually see one, especially as powerful as Kritana. "You're a Lightning Bender," he gasped. The girl looked at him and smiled.

"Have a picture painted, it will last longer," she said, her voice heavenly, and yet sad. "I've tried to hide this for years. I thought I was a freak, until I met you. You seemed to make it all right."

"You can't be a Lightning Bender, the Lightning Temples were all crushed under our kings," the Fire Nation Commander/ Teacher wailed. She frowned and shook her head. "One last rat that slipped from our nets until now," she inhaled and bent backward.

"Laurn, wait," her husband called. His wife shot flames from her lips and hurled them at the girl, but Kritana countered with a massive wave of lightning and water combined, and knocked the evil people back, and back again, until Fire, Electricity, and Water subsided, and all that was left were the charred bones, burned crisped the benders' powers.

The light subsided from around her body, and she dropped to the ground, next to Aang. He looked at her, shocked at what she had done, but knowing that justice and her own battle had just met, and resolved to bring her peace.

_z z z z z z z z z z_

The next few hours were some of the most exciting in Aang's life in Toshigawa. The regulator chief was found tied and gagged in the basement of the constable's house. The constable's men were rounded up, and all testified to their employer's plans, and to the even dark plans of his wife. They were to be invaded by the Fire Nation, and once taken over the constable would have been made the imperial governor of the city. Fire Lord Sozen's agents of course apologized for the "rogue" agent's insane plans, and assured the city that it had nothing to worry about.

Gyatso himself came to pick up Aang, with a small legion of Air Monks, and took possession of his cousin's body. Aang's mentor would be taken to the temples, and buried a hero for his actions, and his defense of the secret that Aang had not yet figured out about his life.

And as for Kritana, her secret was out, and the city was divided as to what to do. Some were afraid of her more than ever, others accused her of causing odd storms during the different seasons, while others still were excited to have such a fabled bender still living among them.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Aang asked her, as they received a few minutes along before his departure. His heart ached, Gyatso had invited her to come live in the Temples, where she could be properly taught how to contain her powers and use them for the good of the people, but she had declined.

"Not sure, probably won't stay here though," she said.

"But this is your home," the boy exclaimed.

"True, but now that people know what I am; they still look at me differently. Some might even try to use me as a weapon, and besides, once the Fire Nation finds out that a Lightning Bender is living, here, even just a half blooded one like me, they wont rest until they burn the town down to the ground to get rid of me."

"But the Fire Nation isn't like that," the boy said. "I have lots of friends there; they're nothing like that crazy commander lady."

Kritana giggled and stroked Aang's cheeks. "You're cute when you're being naïve," she said. "Never lose that innocence of yours Aang, promise me that." He nodded and she giggled again. "By the way, I have something that belongs to you, I'm kinda stole it a while back."

Aang screwed up his face and began filling his pockets, looking for anything that was out of place, or gone. "Everything seems to be here, what did you steal?"

She smiled and leaned forward, quickly like a puma, and gently pressed her lips against his. Seconds passed, and then a minute, and before long Aang felt lost in those strawberry lips of hers, and kissed her back. They finally parted as a massively smiling Gyatso cleared his throat, and chucked as they blushed. "That," she cooed softly. "Thank you Aang, thank you for everything."

_z z z z z z z z z z_

"And so I went back to the Temple with Gyatso, and she went on her way. Neither one of us saw the other again, but I've always thought about her." Aang bowed his head and blushed, "and I know she always thought about me. I don't know how, I just . . . kinda do."

Katara had been ready to tear out the throat of this girl the moment she heard about her thieving arrogant ways. But now her jaw was so far down to the ground that it could hardly be measured. "A Lightning Bender? My gosh?"

"Oh come on, those are just old wives tales, they never really existed," Sokka groaned, holding his very sore head. "But just out of curiosity, you said, she told you she was a half Lightning Bender, what did she mean?"

"Her father was a full fledge Lightning Bender, the last of their kind," Aang said with a smile. "But when he came to Toshigawa he married her mother, who was a powerful Water Bender."

Katara frowned and stroked her chin. "Didn't Gran-gran always tell us stories of her own grandmother having powers over lightning?" A chill ran up the girl's spine.

"Like I said, old wives tales," Sokka smirked.

"I'll give you an old wives tale," Katara growled, shooting to her feet, her fist ready to strike her brother. Aang quickly rushed to his feet and shook his heads.

"Will you guys cut it out! Besides, if you knock him out, Katara, you won't hear his story."

Sokka looked at the two of them and massively gasped air. "My story!"

**_Okay this is fun so far! I hope I haven't been driving you guys nuts with the in and out in the story between the past and the present. I wasn't sure how to handle that, so I did the best I could for a thirty year old fanfiction writer, ;). Anyway I based Kritana a little on Katara, in appearance anyway. For those of you who wanted an Aang/Katara first kiss, sorry, but don't go anywhere, you might still be happy! That being said, what did you all think of Kritana, and the fact that I created a fifth type of bender (was I the first anyone knows of to create a Lightning Bender in Avatar fanfics)? I just thought Lightning was an element too, and they didn't use it in the show, so what would have happened if at one time there were those who could control that electric element, and what happened if they were killed nearly to extinction? Let me know what you think._**

_**Time for my reviewer responses;**_

_**lensgirlfriend: Thank you so much, I hope that late October is soon enough. By the way, your name is interesting, I kind of remember a character named Len from somewhere, but can't remember the name of the show, is this who you named yourself for? Again, thanks for the praise.**_

**_Meow of the Iron Catfist: Another awesome name! Anyway, I hope that you enjoyed chapters two through four. I try very hard not to disappoint._**

_**Well that's it, on to chapter four!**_


	4. Chapter 4

Sokka scratched his head, his face blushing redder than a tomato. "M-my story?" he squeaked.

Katara giggled and crossed her arms, her bright blue eyes shining with amusement. "So spill the beans already," she teased. "That is, if there are any beans to spill at all!"

"Of course there's beans to spill," he roared at her, his teeth becoming like fangs as he glowered in her direction. Sokka ran his hand over his short brown hair, tied in a pony tail, shaved off at the sides of his head. "I was just figuring that we should let you go first, so I can find the guy who decided to take advantage of you, and all."

"No one took advantage of me, you big clod," she snapped. She leaned backed and smiled, and I doubt any one would be taken in by your . . . 'charms'."

It nearly looked like he was about to cry, but the water warrior shook of the tears. "That's not very nice you know," he said. "I was just trying to be protective," he narrowed his eyes, "or had you forgotten how right I was about Jet?" His sister shot back, narrowing her eyes.

"Sokka," Aang warned, his tone harsh, but still remaining friendly.

"Don't tell me," he gasped, "No way, you kissed Jet! He was your first kiss? Katara, I warned you about him!"

"I kissed him, yes," she shot back, fiery temper exploding from every corner of her body. "As if it was any business of yours, but he wasn't my _first _kiss."

"You've kissed more than one guy!" Now Sokka's eyes were wide and looked bloodshot. He shot to his feet and hovered over his sister. "Do you see what I mean; girls like you just draw the guys all over the place, especially the bad boys."

"Girls like me . . . ?" she growled, starting to rise to her feet.

"You know, the innocent, sweet, small town girls, naïve and really not ready for any kind of serious relationship," the teenager said with a shrug. "I've seen it a thousand times, although I've never done anything like it myself."

"Well whoopee for you," she said sourly, giving him the evil eye. "For the record, I'm not so sweet or naïve as you think I am."

"That's because . . .," Sokka began to snap.

The wind around them picked up and knocked both of them to their butts, planting them firmly on the logs they were sitting on. Aang truly was hovering in the air, his body glowing with a thick white blue light, his eyes enveloped in the shine. "Enough," he roared. "If the two of you want to kill each other, fine, but then you can do it here, by yourselves. Appa and I will go to the North Pole without either of you!" The light shifted, and covered the flying bison, who looked scared at his human partner, and a little sad and disappointed at the two water teens.

"Aang, wait a minute?" Katara called, trying to rise to her feet.

"Why? So you can tease each other and goad each other into a fist fight? What good is that to the world?" His voice was still strong, deep as though he were speaking from a massive well, and echoing through the beach. The Avatar turned his gaze on the girl, his arrow tattoos on his hands and head glowing light blue as he looked at her.

Katara and Sokka looked at each other and sighed, bowing their heads. "Aang, we're sorry," the boy said. "We really didn't mean to make you so mad, it's just . . .," he stopped lowered his head, and frowned.

"Sokka's just worried about me," his sister said. "I know he means well, he can just be a little annoying."

"And what about you?" Sokka snapped. He yelped as an angry young Avatar glared in his direction and lowered his head. "Sorry."

The light around the twelve year old lifted, and slowly Aang descended to the ground. "Okay, fine, then let's try this again. Sokka will tell us about his first kiss, then Katara will talk about her _first_ kiss," he looked at Sokka and narrowed his eyes, "and only her first kiss, and then we'll let this issue drop. Agreed?"

"Agreed," the two water teens said nodding their heads. The Avatar smiled and sat on his log motioning Sokka to continue.

The water warrior had seen a lot in his early life, the loss of his mother, his father going off to war, never to come back, leading the defenses of his village, dealing with his soldiers insistent need for constant potty breaks, the Fire Nation, and an obsessed prince trying to catch them all, a Fire Commander, later a General just as obsessed, disappearing into a forest for twenty four hours, and having to hold his bladder that long (he really needed a psychiatrist for that episode, after that Sokka couldn't ever look at an outhouse or a tree the same way ever again) and now this. And in all of this time, he had never been as scared as he was as he was now. No, that wasn't exactly true, there was a time before now when he was scared even worse, and he was about to share that with his little sister, who was apparently more experienced in this field than he was, and with a one hundred and twelve year old spiritual and world leader. Sokka could feel the sweat pour down his forehead and he swallowed.

"Okay, first off, do you remember when I told you that you had never met the girl I kissed?" he asked Katara, his voice breaking.

"So it was Gran-gran," she teased with a wide smile. She looked at Aang and shook her hands, "Sorry."

"It's all right Aang," Sokka chuckled. "It's just a brother-sister thing." He looked at her and back at the boy. "Well, the truth is, you kinda did meet her, you just never really got to know her name, or anything about her."

"Okay, go on," Katara said.

"Well, it happened a couple of months back . . .," he began.

**_Mwahahahahaha! When I'm an evil meanie, I really am an evil meanie! You all are going to have to wait for chapter five for the beginning of Sokka's story. Just to be nice, like Aang's it is a two part story, and to give you head's up, after him, I plan to start Katara's story with a three page beginning too! Anyway I should have chapter's five-seven updated sometime late November, or sometime in December (if you can't wait that long, feel free to read my other Avatar stories: A MidWinter's Romance, The Fire Hunt, and Flames of Hatred), at least that's my hope. You should all know why by now. If you don't go back and read chapter two, and you will. Now I have 23 reviews, but since that's for only chapter one, good lords it will be fun to see if you all are multi-reviewers and review each and every chapter. If not, I should still get a good chunk of reviews anyway. By the way, I'll ask again, any of you friend's of Kim's whose computers are now virus free? Love to hear from you if not! Kim said such nice things, it will be interesting to see what her friends say too! Well, this 30ty year old is rambling on a bit, so, I'll see you all soon! Bye Bye! Oh, and Aang/Katara fans, keep reading! Hehehe, maybe you Zuko/Katara fans should keep reading too! ;). Disappears laughing mischievously._**

**_Sabrina: By now you know that your wish has been granted. I couldn't just leave it with chapter one, that would drive you all nuts, LOL. _**

_**Post written alert: The rank is now up to 24 posts!**_

_**totallystellar: Thank you so much, I hope you've enjoyed these chapters too.**_

_**colorado-chick: Again with the Gah? Lol, anyway, thanks for the support and love. **_


	5. Chapter 5

**_Ziggy's Corner: Rad, 40 reviews! I'm so happy that so many people have enjoyed my work. True I haven't gotten 40 reviews from 40 different people, but this works just as good. Okay the beginning chapter of Sokka's story, and you all guessed right! Suki is coming up! LOL, gee how did you all guess? Anyway, enjoy the story! It's a little alternate universe so please forgive me for being a little off with the chapter._**

"A couple of months ago?" Aang asked.

"A few weeks after Katara and I found you in the glacial and went on this adventure," Sokka said his blushing still as red as ever. He swallowed and rubbed his head. "It was on Kyoshi Island . . ."

_**KYKYKY**_

Sokka paced back and forth, his chest rising and falling as he stared at the training house and he kicked a rock, which bounced off a moving wagon, dropped on a roof, rolled downward, and bonked the boy on his head.

"Stupid girls," he hissed. "Think they're so much better than me." His eyes darted back and forth and he dropped with a plop as he watched them do their little "dance" that they called combat. "How could they catch me doing such, girlie moves?" he asked a pacing dog. The animal looked at the water warrior and hiked his leg, and piddled on him.

"Ah come oh!" he wailed, leaping to his feet. Sokka stormed by the houses, and cleaned himself in the nearby river, before sulking back to the town. The people were abuzz with the news of Aang, many people were busy cleaning the statue of the patron of the island, a past age version of Aang, Kyoshi, one of the greatest of the Avatars, and the fortieth female avatar. Okay, after Kyoshi there were at least nine or ten more female avatars after her, but among them all according to history; Kyoshi was the mightest of them, save for perhaps the third female avatar, an Earth bender named Rajni.

Sokka sighed, and his mood even dropped further. "Even the avatar here is female."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" a female voice asked from behind him. Sokka tensed and he turned to look at the girl who not only captured him, but had bested him in training too.

"Yeah, I suppose, I mean, if you're into a tall wooden statue," he said, trying to restrain his anger. He put his hands over his head and giggled. "I mean she's okay and stuff, for a girl."

"A girl!" The girl narrowed her own eyes and she stomped a foot. "A girl, huh? And what's wrong with that? If memory serves me right, you were bested by a girl." She smiled under her war makeup and took a step back.

"Yeah, well that's only because you blind sighted me," Sokka snapped. "If you and I had fought one on one in a fair fight, I don't really think that you would have stood much of a chance with me."

"Oh, so that's why I beat you so soundly in the training hall?" she cooed.

"I was going easy on you," the boy snapped.

"I see," the girl began walking around him, "So warriors in your village like taking it easy on their opponents? Not a very exact way to fight a battle. But I can now see how we caught you so easily," she cooed again, inching in on him.

"Look, I'm not in the mood for this," he growled.

"You've been here, what four days now. And all you can do is sulk. It's ruining the mood of the village, _my_ village. And I will not have that. Whether you are friends with the avatar or not!"

"Now look, girl," Sokka growled, pointing his finger at her chest. She quickly grabbed it and bent it backward.

"I have a name, you know," she growled. "It's Suki."

"Well laud de da," he snapped, whining a little as she kept the pressure on. She continued pressing on it until she had him on his knees.

"Again, you are very lucky that you're friends with the avatar," she said, her voice lower than a dog's ability to hear. "I could keep this up if I wanted too. In fact, ask most of the men in this village who disrespected me, or our way of life. They'll be happy to show you their fingers." She released it and smirked. "If you want a rematch, please feel free to offer, I enjoy a good time."

She walked off, leaving Sokka to console his injured limb, and his eyes full of injured pride. He had never seen anyone like her, never faced anyone like her. Even Zuko didn't fight with the fire that this girl had in her heart. He shook his head and groaned, knocking those thoughts out of his mind. Okay, she was pretty good at hand to hand combat, but it was only because she was a girl. That was the only reason. If she was a boy, there would be no way she'd be a match for him.

Sokka strolled around the village, feeling the eyes of the curious glare at him as he walked. He stopped by a stand and bought a few apples and went back to the stream where he ate his lunch, and laid in the soft snow looking up at a large brown bridge. He blinked at it sleepily and sighed. The afternoon sky was warm and sweet, the sun bright as he lay there. How old was the bridge? As old as Kyoshi herself? Perhaps older than the village? He knew of some villages that built bridges to allow migratory people to travel from one spot to another before they ultimately settled down in one area. In some water nation cities, there could be found dozens if not hundreds of bridges. The village of Kyoshi was a water village, which of course meant that Suki and the other Kyoshi girls were water warriors. But Sokka had always been brought up to believe that girls did the sewing and made babies, and that was all. It seemed that Kyoshi was a lot different than his own village.

He fell asleep there, and probably would have stayed asleep if he hadn't heard very angry voices just above him. A man's and a woman's. Or perhaps a boy's and a girl's. Sokka woke up and looked at the bridge, the source of the angry words. He slowly rose to his feet and crept near the bridge, focusing his eyes in the dark as he moved. _How long was I asleep?_

Just how long did you sleep?

You should know better than asking that Aang, Sokka could sleep through a volcano exploding.

Haha, very funny you guys.

You know, I just realized that you never did come back to the room that night, so what happened?

He came back Aang, just not until really, really late. Hey, this isn't going to be a naughty tale, is it?

Katara, you know better than that! Now as I was saying.

. . . "I'm not interested in this," a very familiar voice said.

"Come on Suki, you know you want to date me," a very strong masculine voice taunted. "I've seen the way you've looked at me, at the way I impressed you with my skill on the battlefield."

"Kyoshi is a neutral party in this war, Elrich," she snapped. "We don't want to be involved in the war, and I don't want to be involved with some caveman like you."

Sokka watched her turn to leave, the light of the moon floating down on them, giving him a better glimpse of the two of them. It was Suki alright, and next to her was a hulking matter of talking biceps and flesh. Sokka guessed that this tall blue eyed black haired goon was Elrich.

"There you are, lacking vision again," Elrich said. The girl glared at him and turned to leave, before the massive male grabbed her wrist and pressed her against him. "Come on, Suki, just think of what the two of us could do for this village, for our people." She struggled against him, but unlike Sokka, or the other males of her village, he seemed to be prepared to retaliate against her style of combat. She wasn't able to fight against him, and grit her teeth as he held her tight against his chest, pressing her head against his heart. "Do you hear it? The rhythmic beating of my heart next to yours? It is the sound of the war drum. It is the sound of glory. Help me overthrow those old farts, and you and I will make so much mischief against the Fire Nation, that the Fire Lord wouldn't be able to do anything be end the war."

"I think the muscles in your body have taken over your mind at last, Elrich," she groaned. "Let go of me, you're hurting me."

"I don't mean to, my dear," he said solemnly.

She struggled against him, "Stop it," she hissed, wiggling to be free of him.

From where he was kneeling, Sokka could see the girl's face, without her war paint without the warrior's clothing. He felt his face flush, not because of her beauty, for truly she was very beautiful, with short red brown hair, and shining eyes, soft features and smooth shimmering lips. No, he was flushing to see her in such an embarrassing position. He swallowed and shot to his feet, storming up to the two of them.

"I don't believe the lady wants to have anything to do with you," he said, tapping the giant on his shoulder. Elrich looked over his shoulder and smirked at the smaller boy.

"I think that little boys shouldn't get involved with grown up things," the bully said with a chuckle. He turned his attention back to Suki and turned her around, holding her by her shoulders. "Now that we've gotten that out of our system, what do you say we try this again."

"There's nothing to try, because there was nothing here in the first place," Suki said. She turned her eyes on Sokka and waved him away.

"I don't like being ignored," Elrich growled, squeezing his fingers into her shoulders.

"Funny, neither do I," Sokka said. "However, I think that Suki would prefer to be ignored."

"Sokka, please just stay out of this," Suki groaned.

"Yes, for your own good, Sokka, stay out of this," Elrich snipped. He released Suki and turned to the smaller boy. "You're the one who keeps getting his ass handed to him by Suki and her little friends, aren't you?" He laughed, and pushed Sokka to his butt. "Just stay out of our way, and pretend you didn't hear anything."

"Yeah, that's funny coming from the Neanderthal who can't seem to get it through his thick skull that a girl doesn't like him."

"Sokka, no!" Suki screeched.

Elrich turned to her and back at Sokka, his lips twitching. "You would prefer this geek to me? What is wrong with you, I thought you had more ambition than that."

"Elrich, we grew up together, trained together, we live just a few houses away from each other," Suki said, "you used to be my best friend, what happened to you?"

"I actually grew up," Elrich snapped. "Our world is at war, Suki. War! How can you just sit and train and pretend that it isn't happening?"

"Look, I know how hard it is to stay home and do nothing when you're worried about your family and friends, but you should be happy that the war isn't even near the borders of Kyoshi," Sokka said.

"Shut up you little twit," Elrich growled. "I don't care about any of that. With a war brewing it could be interesting to bring in new political enhancements, new job opportunities for me, for the island. A new empire to be born," he smiled and looked at the stars. "A new emperor to bring peace to the people of this world."

"And how many people would suffer? None of us have ever seen true suffering, none of us have ever seen a battle, and that's the way we should keep it," Suki said.

"I can't believe this," Elrich growled. "War is everywhere, we could use it to drag our little dung hill of an island out of the squalor it's in, and you want to keep it as boring and poor as possible."

"If you want to throw away your life, for your own glory, that's one thing," Suki said with a very sad tone. "But don't expect me to help you drag our people to your gave with you, because I won't."

"Suki, look at it this way," he began. His features were starting to change, starting to grow more animal like as he looked at her. "You are the strongest of the women in our village, all you would have to do is say the word, and people would listen to you."

"I think she said the word already, friend, and I believe its peace," Sokka said quickly, his fingers twitching near his boomerang.

Elrich turned and grabbed the boy by his throat. "That is the last time I tell you to butt out," the larger boy hissed. He squeezed, tossing Suki to her bottom as she protested, and lifted Sokka off his feet.

Oh come on, Sokka, he lifted you off of your feet?

Yes, he lifted me off of my feet! Why would I lie about that!

Maybe for the same reason you said that Suki gave you your first kiss.

Okay Katara, calm down. But I do have to say, I never remember seeing a big massive guy in Kyoshi Island Sokka.

That's because he didn't live in the village.

Yet he knew Suki, and was part of the village.

Do you want me to tell this story or not?

Okay, okay keep going.

. . . Sokka tried desperately to gasp for air, the veins in his eyes beginning to grow as he struggled. He could see Suki back on her feet, pounding on Elrich's side, and calling for help. Elrich freed one of his hands and grabbed the girl by her face, pushing her off of the bridge, onto the hard dirt.

"Stop it, stop hurting him," she cried. "Elrich, listen I'll do whatever you want," tears were rolling down her cheeks as she watched Sokka kick ferociously at the other boy's thick arms. "I'll convince them to go to war, to overthrow our leaders and crown you king, or emperor, or whatever you want. Please, leave him alone!"

"I've never taken a life before," Elrich cackled at Sokka, his eyes deader than a skull's. "I've always wondered how it would feel. It's kind of exhilarating." He laughed at Sokka's face and looked down at the girl. "Don't worry, you will be joining him after he's done."

"You've gone insane," she said fearfully.

"From my perspective, you and those refusing to use the war for the good of our island are the insane ones," he chuckled. He turned to Sokka, and realized war rule number one. Never take your eyes off your enemy.

Sokka used his distraction to grab his boomerang and free it from his belt. Once it was in his hand, the boy slammed it hard against Elrich's face, hearing bone crack. Blood spluttered everywhere, and the monster bully of a teen dropped Sokka, who rushed under his feet, and dashed to Suki's side, and watched as Elrich tumbled off the bridge, straight into the water and float away.

_**KYKYKY**_

"We never found him, though we were looking for hours. I started to feel how I knew how felt to kill a person. And unlike Elrich, it made me want to throw up."

Katara shook her head. "Aang's murder mystery, you killing a guy, good grief is this a kiss and tell story or massacre theater?"

"I didn't say that I killed him," Sokka said. "I just said I felt like I knew how it felt. It wasn't until the next day, the day before Zuko attacked, when we knew what had happened. And it was bad."

_**Okay, the fifth chapter is over! True its shorter than Aang's story, but of course we know a little more about Sokka than what we learned about Aang, so I didn't want this to be a P.O.V. of The Warriors of Kyoshi. Anyway, let me know how you feel about it. And that being said, some reader reviews response!**_

_**lensgirlfriend: Yep, Suki is coming in!**_

**_crzysheelf: Well we'll see about Zuko and Katara, which is a maybe or a maybe not. But don't let that stop you from reading like the Aang/Katara readers there may be some good stuff coming your way. And thanks for the praise of the murder mystery, I like to shake things up a bit._**

_**alliwantislove: Thanks, hopefully you like the last three chapters, as well as these next three!**_

_**crouchingbunny: As you can see, the update came, and the new batch of updates are also on the way! Thanks for love!**_

_**kayko15: Well if you haven't figured it out by now, sorry! Lol. Thanks for the praise! And I hope to please you both as the story continues. (Somehow she has managed to channel Zuko's spirit folks! That's kind of amazing. She'll have to tell us how!).**_

**_colorado-chick: Yep! And all it took was one cry of "gah!" Lol. Thanks for the love._**

**_Psychopunk13: DAMN dude, I barely updated the last three, and you want more already! My name isn't the Flash you know! At any rate you'll enjoy these next three. I hope!_**

_**PychoDancingBookworm: Thank you soo much! If I wasn't trying to keep myself so humble, my head would explode from all this praise! But I have to keep myself humble, after all I know I'm not the best writer out there, there are lots of you who are far better than me! I hope you enjoy these next three chapters, and if that's not enough, you can always read my other Avatar stories, or any of my other fictions in other categories. YAY more self promotions!**_

_**Sabrina: Well, duh! LOL, I can't just end it there! Thanks for the love!**_

_**Sasscreech: Thanks, I try to do my best for those who read my work. **_

_**KillaKitten: Changed yourself writer's name I see! Thanks for the praise. Yeah, I know about DOA, though I don't own a XBOX, I am a male, which means, I do know about the DOA girls, via DOA EXTREME BEACH VOLLEYBALL (why has no one done a fanfic about that game? LOL). I would really love to read your fic, and I think that Feifang and Hitomi mixed would be a perfect look for the Avatar world. I you want you can email me some time. By the way, did you put in a link with your review? "but right now I have a work-in-process fic on just to see how it would come out…," is what I received. Anyway, what's with this being too old to write there? Lol I'm thirty and writing here! And I don't think I'm old. Look in the mirror AHHH GRAY HAIR, GRAY HAIR! Oh wait, that's just dust on my mirror, Lol.**_

_**Okay gang, on to chapter six!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay, chapter six, here we go!**_

Aang looked at Sokka and blinked, "Good grief, it's been like five days and you haven't said a word! You talked about me taking a long time," he said with a chuckle.

"Aang we've only been sitting here for a little while," Katara giggled, nudging the avatar. "So, anyway, what did happen the next day Sokka?"

"Well. . .,"

**_KYKYKY_**

Sokka found their room that very night and dropped to his mat, ignoring questionable looks from tired Katara and Aang. His heart was still racing and he could hardly imagine trying to sleep, though he tried frantically to do so. In his mind he could still see Elrich dropping over the edge of the bridge, the slash of water as his body hit it, and their search for his corpse.

Finally with no luck, the two of them bid each other adieu, and walked back to the village. An hour past, and then another. Sokka finally managed to fall to sleep, but when Katara woke him up, he find he had only gotten two hours. How he wanted to push her away as he had done in the past, just slip back under the covers, and pretend the last few hours did not matter, but he knew that there was still something wrong, and he didn't believe they would be staying here that much later. Try as he might, Aang seemed not to notice the girls' fascination with him was slowly waning.

Hey, that's not nice!

But it's true, Aang.

Sokka began walking around the village, listening closely to people talking. A few times he had heard someone mention Elrich's name, and he tensed his eyes growing, until there was no more sounds made. The water warrior decided the best way to figure out what had happened was to ask questions, as dangerous as that might be.

And so he went from person to person, asking them what they knew of the large teen. Most of them had nothing good to say, a drop out from his studies, a violent boy who at times emulated the Fire Lord, and then later cursed him to an early grave. There were a few good things that he heard, but from what he gathered, after he and his family left to travel the world and when he returned, he was oddly different, he had both parents with him, his possessions, everything he had taken with him, he had brought back … at least it appeared that way.

But after he came back, he was anxious, aggressive, and a lot more interested into bringing Kyoshi into world politics. His father had been a member of the island's council, and Elrich had tried to use that position to catapult himself into politics, at the tender age of twelve, ignoring his studies at martial arts and mathematics. The villagers would not have someone so young telling them what to do and that seemed to enrage him more and more. Though he lived just a few houses away from Suki, he eventually left after an argument with his parents. Some said he lived in a cave just a few miles outside the village, with a very small group of cronies that he had managed to brainwash into his crusade of violence.

_What could have driven him made like that? What had he seen or been through that mad him lose his mind?_ Sokka kept pondering these thoughts, and accidentally wondered outside of the village on the east side, heading for some hills. He continued to walk, occasionally taking in the sights, and though he was concerned about being so far away from his sister and Aang, the thought of that hulk of mass dropping into the water the night before drove him forward.

Eventually he found himself resting next to a medium sized hill, covered with grass and a few golden brown rocks sticking out here and there. It was noon, or perhaps a little passed noon, and he was tired and hungry.

Using the skill he had been taught in his own village, Sokka caught a couple of fish, and built a small fire, cooking his lunch. He ate it quickly and noisily, but not too noisily as to attract predators or competition for his hard earned food. After lunch, and a little business with some bushes, he rested in the grass, and yet again fell asleep.

You do that a lot in this story.

Do you want me to continue or not? And Aang, stop giggling.

He didn't sleep as long as he did the last time. Maybe just two or three hours, but it was still bright enough, and warm enough, that he knew he hadn't been out for that long. He rose to his feet, and squinting his eyes he tensed as a spear pressed against his back.

"I was going to go looking for you squirt, but you've saved me the trial of dealing with my old villagers' wrath. Thank you so very much." The voice was hard, and on edge, with sick humor running all through it. Sokka knew better than to turn around.

"So, you survived," he said, his own voice hard, but calm.

"Thought you had killed me? Too bad, you didn't get the job done. Disappointed?"

"That I'm not a murderer? No thank you, I've relieved, but how did. . .," Sokka said, slowly trying to look from the corner of his eyes.

"Suki never told you that I was such a good swimmer, did she?" He chuckled, and motioned for his goons to drag out the girl, tied in ropes. He spun Sokka around and smirked as he kneed him in the groin.

"Elrich, I'm begging you to stop!" the girl cried. She was wearing her war paint again, and was dressed in her ceremonial battle dress. She looked as beautiful as ever, and though Sokka felt the waves of flames running all over his body, he could only smile at her.

"That isn't the only thing that you're going to be begging me to stop by the time this day ends," the giant monster cackled. He looked at her and rolled his massive eyes. "Oh don't worry, I don't want you anymore. I've come to realize that you are really not my type."

"So, what," the other boy groaned. "You prefer something of your own species? A troll maybe?" Elrich twisted and slammed his boot into Sokka's jaw, followed by a few of his buddies imitating their dark lord.

"A real warrior doesn't rely on the strength of others, you disappoint me, Elrich," Suki snapped.

"Oh, but as we both know, a warrior does rely on the strength of his comrades," Elrich growled. "The strength of one is the strength of all. But I wouldn't expect you to understand that, my former star. I've found someone else who will make my dreams come true. True for me, true for my men, true for our island, our world, yes, even true for you, dear Suki."

He motioned and a skinny woman, perhaps a year older than Suki walked through the grass, holding twin blade fans, and smiled at her. "Her name is Kassha. You wouldn't know her, because she lives on an island just a little ways from Kyoshi. But let me assure you, my fire is the same as hers. And together we will wed, and merge the islands together as the beginning base of a new, glorious empire."

"Lord Elrich," a tall stumpy boy said, approaching him with a bow. "I finished delivering the message, just as you instructed."

Suki blinked and turned to her former friend. "What message?"

"You will find out," Elrich said with an odd smile. "Let's just leave it to say, that come tomorrow, the flames of a new empire will begin to be forged."

"My lord, what shall we do with these two?" another asked.

Elrich looked at the two of them and his eyes shone with demonic light. "Cut their hands off, and let them go."

"Sir?" the other asked confused.

"They're both warriors, correct? Then cut of their hands, so they can no longer fight."

"You are insane," Sokka snapped.

"Because I only want your hands? I think its poetic justice," he said. His features were twisted, as a long scar stretched from his forehead down to his jaw. "Admiring your boomerang's work? I think you should get on your knees and kiss my feet for just taking losing your hands. I had to struggle with the desire to kill you in cold blood."

"That's what you plan on doing anyway. Without a doctor we would bleed to death before we reached the village."

Elrich laughed. "Of course, we can't have you warn those old geezers, now can we?" He bent down and narrowed his eyes. "But at least this way, you have a sporting chance."

"You want to give me a sporting chance? Then face me one on one, no goons, no help, no weapons. Let's just see how good you really fight."

"Sokka, no, he'll kill you," she cried. Kassha kicked her in her ribs and dropped the girl like a sack of potatoes.

"He'll kill us anyway," the boy snapped. "So what do you say? One on one, prove to your followers just how good a fighter you really are!"

"No weapons? Hand to hand combat," Elrich chuckled. "That hardly seems fair; you'd never reach my face as tiny as you are." His men laughed at their boss' statement, but it didn't deter Sokka. Elrich sighed tiredly and shrugged. "If that' how you want to meat your end, then so beat it. Rather admirable to be honest." He nodded to his men, who cautiously backed away from both of them, made a combat ring of sweat and flesh.

Sokka slowly rose to his feet, his body sore from the beating he had received today, and from last night. But there was everything to lose if he did not stand up. She wavered a little and swallowed, backing up as Elrich took a false step toward him, which made his men laugh.

And it began. The monster rushed at the boy, roaring inhumanly and tossed a log of an arm in his direction. Sokka managed to dodge it, and rolled over his back, spinning around in time to get a big boot to his face, with enough force that it nearly snapped his neck. The water warrior dropped to the ground, and spun and rolled as Elrich time and time again crashed down on each spot where he had just been with a massive foot. Sokka dodged him a few more times, and managed to get pinned next to a tree, each time dodging a fist of a foot, before he got tired of that and rolled under the creep's legs.

Sokka countered with a whirlwind twist of his legs, and was back on his feet, his hands and arms in a defensive position and he waited for this Goliath of a man to come at him. He swallowed again, and ducked under Elrich's arm, as the monster tried to clothes line him, and spun in the air and cracked the other boy's uninjured area of his jaw with his own foot.

Blood spilled from Elrich's mouth, which enraged him, and yet seemed to entertain the fiend as well. He took a few seconds to appreciate the situation, and snatched Sokka's foot out of the air as the boy tried the same stunt twice.

"Not much of a fighter, are we?" Elrich cackled. "What kind of a warrior goes to the pot twice in the same few seconds?" Sokka struggled to free himself, but he held on tighter. "Now how far would you make it to the village with cut off hands and a broken leg?"

"For a 'warrior' you talk too much," Sokka snapped. He launched his other leg, but again, Elrich caught it, and now held both of them, one in each hand. His men cheered for their boss, and his new squeeze kicked Suki in the back of her legs, dropping her yet again in celebration.

"For a 'warrior' you don't do much fighting," Elrich growled. The giant held fast his legs, and maneuvered him onto his stomach, resting on his back, as he yanked the legs upward. Sokka's scream echoed through the forest, and his eyes nearly burst from the pressure as he could feel bones groan with strain. "This ends now."

"If you insist," Sokka cried. He picked up a stone and twisting to his side, ignoring the white hot pain tossed it forward. Elrich scowled, and dodged it, as his men hooted and howled in displeasure."

"What happened to no weapons, Sokka? That wasn't very honorable," he said with a dark grin.

"It wouldn't have been, had I been aiming for you," Sokka said, his face twisting between pain and an odd smile.

Elrich mouthed the word 'what', but never got a chance to use it. The tree in front of him groan and moaned, and finally rolled from its trunk, crashing toward the two boys.

Both women called out to their own male companion, their eyes wide with horror. Elrich's men dashed for shelter as it tumbled toward them. Elrich released his grip on Sokka, and the boy used what strength he had left to move out of the way, warning the other boy to get out of the way, but the giant clutched the tree and forced it back as hard as he could. The next sound the forest heard was loud piercing pops and snaps, and the cry of a behemoth.

Elrich sat there, his arms laying useless, his face pushed into the ground as splinters dug deeper into his eyes. His woman rushed to his aide, and Suki crawled to Sokka.

"What happened?" she asked in a hush whisper.

"I used his strength against him," Sokka replied sadly.

"You knew about the tree all along," Elrich cried, looking around for the other boy, but seeing only midnight. "That's why you were dancing along it like a drunken fool! You baited me into punching and kick at it, to weaken it, until you could pull your little stunt! That's admirable! That's honorable!"

"I warned you to get out of the way," Sokka snapped. "You were the one who tried to prove his strength when no one ever doubted it."

"Kill them," Elrich commanded. "Kill them both now."

"You're men are gone, and I don't think they're coming back anytime soon, the cowards they were," Suki said. "And as for Kassha," she stood up and held four fan blades, her own two, as well as her rival's, in a very defensive position. "She's welcome to try and take her blades, but I do not think she will succeed." She looked down at her old friend and sighed sadly. "You've been beaten Elrich, blind and crimpled. You will never fight again, and that means there will be no revolution; at least not by your hands." She nodded to the cave and felt tears run down her cheeks. "Take him," she said to Kassha, "take him there, and see to him. Or take him to your own island and see to him."

"You would let us live?" she asked softly.

"We aren't murderers," Sokka said with a shake of his head. "Just leave now." The two of them turned and walked away, the cries of Elrich's pain and frustration filling the forest for a long time.

When they finally reached the village, Sokka turned and looked at the girl. "What were you doing up there?"

"I was following you," she said. "I wanted to warn you not to go up there, but you couldn't seem to hear my cries, and when I left the village after you, his goons attacked." They stared at each other for a long time and turned away. "You are such a stubborn goat, you know that? You could have gotten us killed. You could have gotten killed by yourself! What were you thinking?"

"Hey look, I'm sorry, so I didn't think, but I just couldn't live with being a murderer, okay? Or is that just another weak thing about me?" Sokka turned to face her, opening his mouth to say something else, but was broken off as she grasped him and kissed him full on the lips.

For a moment he wasn't sure what to do, and then he wrapped his arms around her, and kissed her back. It wasn't until they could hear the sounds of children giggling as they watched the two of them that they broke away, blushing and averting their eyes from each other.

After that they said their good byes for the day, and Sokka was really glad they had.

_**KYKYKY**_

"There was no time to say good bye the next day," Sokka said, looking at Katara and Aang.

"Zuko," Katara said.

"Elrich's message to the Fire Nation, that Aang was there at Kyoshi," the boy said with a nod. "I think he planned on letting them catch Aang and then ambush them and fight them off."

"But they wouldn't have been a match for Zuko," Katara said.

"Like I told you, Elrich was insane. He _is_ insane. I doubt he though he could actually lose. Maybe he thought the people would rise up with him, and together they would push them back." He sighed and averted his gaze from them. "Its just kind of sad."

"Yeah, it really is," Aang said. They sat there for a long time, and then the boy smiled. "But we're kind of getting off track. It's Katara's turn now."

Sokka blinked and looked at his sister. "Yeah, so just who was it that put his lips on my little sister? _Besides_ that lunatic Jet, I mean."

Katara blinked her eyes and gasped a little bit, blushing with a giggle. "Well…,"

_**Okay, so what does everyone think of Sokka's story? Once again I know it was shorter than Aang's but again, I did not want a P.O.V. fiction here. Besides that, if it was POV then we would have had a really short two chapters. I like it this way better. **_

**_Time for the rest of my reader reviews! I have 42 reviews now!_**

_**Mexman1993: You know I'm not sure if I've designated anyone the number one fan of Kiss and Tell, if I have, then I can't remember. So I guess Mexman1993 you will do! And if I did designate some to number one fan, then I here by proclaim for the first time ever for one of my fics, I have 2 number one fans! Hey, I'm the author I get to do that LOL, and Mexman1993 has earned the title by being the only one among you to email me about when the new chapters will come in. Now that's what I call DEVOTION! Of course my ultimate number one fan is still and always will be TheSheolessOne, as she discovered me first! **_

_**Anyway thanks for the compliments, and sorry I was so mean. I hope you like these new chapters just as well. When I write a story, I try and live and eat the world of that story, so I know it well. I 'interview' characters, and 'take pictures' of the world, so I can best give them to my fans. So your praise is much appreciated. It means I did my work right.**_

_**Purple MoonShine: Cool name! Yep as you can see, I used my own version of the Suki kiss! It'll be interesting to see who this white haired water bender woman from the north pole is, that he likes in the episode airing tomorrow! My gut kinda says she's bad news, but who knows. As you are now reading, I have indeed continued!**_

_**sokka is my homeboy: you are the second of my fans to switch names on me! Oh well. Yeah, 10 and 11 are a little young to have a real kiss, but since I'm 30 I kinda think that so is 12 and 13 and 14, and 15, and maybe even 16. 17 seems about right, but then again what do I KNOW! I'm 30 and I've NEVER been kissed by a girl before. And finally; YES, YES, YES ALREADY ITS SUKI! Damn dude, dudette I've never seen anybody that exciteable about a character! Maybe one day I might write a fiction called SUKI-NATION or something, with just her in it, with Sokka coming in at times! LOL. **_

_**Sabrina: Once more, thank you I guess you really must like this fic if you submit twice in the same chapter!**_

_**Anyway that's all there is for that! On to chapter 7!**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**Ziggy's Corner: Okay, chapter seven and the beginning of Katara's tale. Well actually the prelude to her tale, but hey now, I did WARN you all I was going to pull this at the prelude to Sokka, right? RIGHT? Lol okay, on with the story.**_

Katara looked at the two boys and blushed even more. After all, this would be embarrassing enough between girls, but these were two boys! And one was her brother at that!

"So, go on? Who was the first guy you kissed?" Aang asked.

"Well, it happened a little while ago," she said, rubbing her arms.

"Before or after Aang?" Sokka asked.

She jumped and narrowed her eyes. "I never kissed Aang," she snapped. "Well, except to give him a peck on the cheek for retrieving my necklace from Zuko, but that was all."

"Well at least you didn't kiss Zuko," the boy giggled. There was an odd silence between them, and the girl let out with a high pitched squeak of a laugh, her cheeks so rosy she could have been called the Snow Maiden, granddaughter of Grandfather Frost.

"Wait, it wasn't Zuko, was it?" Sokka screeched, leaping to his feet. She didn't answer him, and the boy nearly tumbled over his feet. "No," he whispered. Now anger was building up within him. "No," he screamed, "how could you?"

"Zuko wasn't my first either, although he was one of the best kisses I've ever had," she said, blushing beyond control. "It was just after the pirates attacked us, and we ran into each other. He wanted to capture me, and we got into a heated argument. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, we were holding each other and kissing." She giggled and stroked her arms. "He was the only one to give me goose bumps when I kissed him, I don't know what it was, but the three times we kissed. . .," she said slowly.

"You kissed him on three separate occasions?" Sokka yelled, flinging his arms up and down in the air.

Aang was inching further away from the girl, his eyes narrow and full of not quite suspicion, but something else. The girl easily recognized what it was, though Sokka couldn't. Aang looked at Katara the same way that she had looked at him when she found out about Kritana. He was jealous.

"Yeah, I don't know why, but he's the only one of the boy's and men I've kissed that I've ever done more than once. Kissing him always makes my body all tingly."

"Wait, wait, wait," Sokka said, his head batting back and forth. "I can't believe I'm hearing this. You actually kissed a man too?"

"We were all wearing disguises, and Zhao was right on our trail. If I hadn't grabbed the monster, and kissed him when I did, he would have caught Aang," she said, sick to her stomach at the though of her lips being on Zhao's.

"Oh I'm going to barf," Sokka said, his knees buckling.

"But when Zuko kissed me, my hold body grew tense, and a felt a warm tingling all over," she said with a smile, glad she was driving her brother a little batty.

"Now I know I'm going to barf," he groaned, looking away.

"Is there anyone you haven't kissed?" Aang asked, his face turning a pale salad green.

"Well, you and Sokka, sure," she giggled.

"What, so like you kissed Suki too I guess?" her brother raged.

The girl rolled her eyes and sighed, "Oh yes Sokka, while you and Aang were busy fighting off the Fire Nation, Suki and I snuck off and made out." She looked at her brother and groaned. "I'm being sarcastic by the way."

"So, then aside from this kissing marathon you've decided to embark on after we've begun our adventure, who in the world was the very first guy you kissed?" Sokka growled.

"It was even later than your kiss … if you've even told the truth, Sokka," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. "About a week after we left after we left Omashu. Unlike Suki, you _did_ get to meet my first kiss, and in fact, helped me to get to the point of the kiss."

Sokka raised an eyebrow and blinked stupidly. "I helped you get your first kiss?"

"You and Aang, without the two of you, I would have never been put in the situation I was in, to kiss him." She said, taking pleasure in their guessing faces.

"So, then who was it?" Aang asked, scratching his bald head. He was still fuming at what she had said about Zuko, what did that fire prince have that he didn't? What was so amorous about him?

Katara giggled and shook her head, "Still can't guess yet?"

"Who was it?" the boys snapped in unison.

"Well, then I guess I have no choice," she said with a sigh, raising to her feet and stretching.

"Wait, wait, where are you going?" Sokka whined.

"Just going to pull an Aang while the two of you think about it," Katara giggled. "Be back in a little while!" And with that, she left the two of them to do their guess work.

**_HA! I told you I was going to do this! But it's for a good reason! I planted the clues, can you all figure out this girl's first kiss? For all you Zutaka lovers out there, I hope her words about his kisses made you happy. LOL I even put in some Zhataka into it too, though she hated his kiss, and as you read earlier, Jetaka. Hopefully I have not created a new element to her romances with the joke about her and Suki! shudders Ew gross. But it could be that thanks to me a branch called Katuki romances might start. makes the sign of the cross that it does not happen. _**

_**But the question remains, who was this girl's very, absolute first KISS? It will be interesting to see what you all think and come up with! I plan to update with the last three chapters sometime between December-February, depending on if I update in November or December. I believe it will be December, so that means you will have to wait for Katara's story (chapters 8 & 9) and the final chapter (chapter 10) either in January or February. Until then, see you later! The great big meanie, out! **_

_**And now we have tied for silver with my Sly Cooper fic, Everything's Relative.**_

_**Sabrina: You are either really in love with this fic, and want to submit every time you read it, or you are campaigning for the number one fan spot! Well I Guess I have two number one fans for this story. Mexman1993 and You. Congratulations. **_

**_These chapters will probably be submitted a little after Christmas Day, but I hope to have it in before the 6th of January, as that is one day after the Christmas season actually ends. December 25-January 5, the twelve days of Christmas, it was actually celebrated like that in medieval times, a tasty tidbit for you trivia fans._**

**_By the way, I'm thinking of doing a sequel to this story, about the villains talking about their first kiss. What do you think about this? The titles I was thinking about are: Hearts of Flames, Dark Romance, Innocence Before Shadows, and Lips of Venom. So you all can vote on if you want the sequel and what the title should be. One vote for each person, the majority rules, so if you really want it, convince you're other friends to read, review, and vote too! I'll announce the results with the final three chapters. _**

**_Okay I just wanted you all to know that I had gotten a cold earlier this month, and now my monitor is really nasty, it looks like it is going to fall right off, and the computer repair guy simply made things worse. I'll try to update as soon as possible, maybe in May, but do not hold me to that, as my time is not my own in updates. I just promise to do the best that I can._**

**_Final note, if there are any of Kim's friends who haven't reviewed for themselves yet, you only have until May (maybe earlier if we're all lucky) to get your voices out, because after that, this story closes its doors for good (of course if there is a majority who wants a sequel, you could speak out them). It's the 23rd of February today, and I update this weekend, so the long cold winter wait is finally coming to an end. HURRAY!_**


	8. Chapter 8

Ziggy's Corner: Chapter 8! A lot of you guys had a hard time of figuring this one out, but lot of you actually got it too! Katara kissing the Cabbage man? Katara kissing the foaming mouth guy? Katara kissing Jason or Freddy? LOL okay these last two was just a joke, I can't see her kissing those two ugly mugs, that would be enough to make anybody sick. Then again a lot of you hurled at the thought Admiral Zhao kissing her, and not one of you guess said a word about her kissing Suki. I guess that's because you know it was a joke. 

"Katara what on earth has been taking you so long?" Sokka screeched.

She looked at him as if he was crazy and shrugged. "What do you mean?"

"You said that you were only going to go pee, it seems like you've been gone for over four months!"

"Like you weren't gone that long?" she asked, crossing her arms. "Anyway I wanted to take a shower too, and …," she blinked and cocked her head at them. "Okay now what?

"What did you do to your hair?" Aang asked.

"I found some minerals and fruit juices, it kinda died my hair."

"So you have blonde hair now?" Aang asked, his eyes wide with shock.

"Don't you like it?" she asked, running her fingers through it.

"Just forget it, Aang," Sokka sighed, "girls are like that."

"You would know, being one, right?" Katara asked, with a sly smile.

He looked at her and growled, turning away. "So who was your first kiss, anyway?"

"You said that Sokka and I helped you get it?" Aang said. "But I don't remember setting you up on a date or anything."

"You didn't," Katara said. "You did it by helping me get go to jail."

"When did you …," Aang began searching the farthest reaches of him memory banks for anytime she might have been in prison. "Wait, you said it was after we left King Boomie, right?" She smiled and nodded.

"When did we get her in jail?" Sokka asked.

"It was when we helped you get Haru out of prison, isn't it?" Aang said. The girl nodded again. "It was Haru, wasn't it?" She smiled widely, her teeth shining in the light. "Haru!" Sokka growled. He leapt to his feet, "I can't believe this! I thought I could trust him!"

"Oh come on, its not like I made out with him! I just kissed him!" she snapped.

"So how did it happen?" Aang asked.

"Well, that's a story …"

ZETOPA

She had been captured, by the Fire Nation, thanks for the efforts of her brother and her friend, but it had to happen. It was her fault that Haru was captured, her fault that he had been turned in by the very man he had tried to rescue. She scanned the prison, cautious of the guards. Finally she spied him, and slinked over to him until he spotted her, and hurried up to her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I got the guards thinking I was an Earth Bender," she said, looking around as people sat on the ground, their heads lowered to the ground, their hope vanished. "This is terrible."

"If they don't use our talents for slave labor, they use our muscles as slave labor," he whispered, anger rising a little. "And for those who can't be used a slave labor, they're sent to solitary, never to be seen again."

Katara frowned, "How can they use you for slave labor, if they don't want you to use your powers?"

"They threaten our families, or brainwash those with the most talents to obey them with no challenge to their authority."

"That's horrible," she said, looking down. "There's got to be a way to change this, to free these people."

"Not without getting the people to stand up against the Fire Nation, and that means, getting their hope back."

She looked at him and then turned away. She had hoped to slip out with him during the night, but there were so many people. Katara decided the time was ripe to reshape her plan.

Reshape your plan?

Will you please let me finish talking?

The night was long and cold, and she was very hungry. The food that she had been given was worth giving to an animal, let alone a person. There were nearly twenty other women in the same room with her, all of them wearing rags to protect their bodies from the cold. She stayed awake, listening to the guards march too and fro. The prison yard was a large circle, while the cells were square and small. She could feel the breath of air on her shoulders from her mates, as they tried to keep warm themselves. Their body heat kept her warm, and hers' kept them warm. She laid on her back, listening to the sounds, to the motion outside, to the folding of paperwork and instruments of information. The sky was bitter black, as if the day itself had given up all hope in this horrid land. To the very far left of the prison was a bleak and desperate room. Haru told her that the very weak were dragged off into that room, and the smell of odd gas could be smelt afterwards. Then smoke would rise from the chimney as black as even the might, and those dragged in there, or escorted, or simply volunteered without giving into violence, were never seen again.

It didn't take too much to know what the Fire Nation was doing in there. If the prisoners were worthless, no hope of giving the occupiers what they wanted, then well… she knew they had never had a problem with genocide before, wiping out the Air Benders, with the exception of Aang. Had he not run away, he would have been killed too.

Then the more successful of the talented Earth Benders were sipped off to the Fire Nation, where it was said that odd experiments were being preformed on them. It was all the talk of the cell that night, and apparently many nights before it.

"What kind of experiments?" she had asked, when she was sure that no one guard was listening.

One woman looked at her and healed her breath, "We don't like to talk about it too much, but they say that the Fire Nation is trying to make the perfect soldier, one that possesses all power of all four elements, and obeys every rule without question."

"I heard that after our capital falls, the Fire Lord plans on creating some kind of space program," another woman said.

"A space program?" Katara asked, raising her eyebrows. "The plan on sending people into space?"

"That's silly," a third woman snarled, an elderly woman. "They don't have that kind of technology."

"Did you ever think you would see machines like they used during the last assault on the capital?" a young woman asked. Numerous admitted they did not. "Machines that rolled like large serpents, or snails, that fired flames from large metal cylinders. If they can come up with that, why not a space program?"

"But they don't even have the power to fly, let alone go into space," Katara said. "Are you saying that's going to be next?"

"I heard a general near the north pole was looking into that kind of thing," one f the women said.

If Katara couldn't sleep before, because of worries for getting these people out of here, there was the this new problem. She frowned questions running through her mind. What was she going to do now, how was she going to get them out? What if Aang and Sokka didn't come in time?

The girl sat forward and began an idea, she wasn't sure it would work, but it was the only thing she had going at the moment. Even though her brother and Aang tried to convince her to escape during the night, she stayed, if nothing more than to help these people. When no one was looking, she slipped off, and disappeared into the men's cell.

"Haru, Haru?" she waited for an answer, and finally the boy slinked from the darkness. He looked horrified that she was out, but thankful to see her face again. "Haru, I have a plan."

"Katara, you should tell me about it tomorrow," he said, his voice low.

"No, I have to tell you tonight, timing is everything," she said.

"Katara, please, you don't understand, we really should talk tomorrow."

She frowned and looked at him, "Haru, we have to talk now! I have an escape plan I want to talk to you about, so I can tell my friends what they need to do."

"Katara, he snarled. "Just go on now, we don't have anything to talk about anything. There's no need to escape."

"Haru, what are you talking about, we need to get out of here! The Fire Nation is horrible, terrible, we have to stand up to them while we still have the chance!" She was angry, bitter, and a little confused. Had he lost his nerve, had he been brainwashed? Had he been working for the Fire Nation? "Haru, how could you talk like this? I thought I was your friend."

"Listen to me," he snarled. "You aren't my friend, I barely know you. You and your friends are just freaks," his snarled. "I don't know why I EVER listened to a foolish little girl like you? What was I thinking? I should have just let that old turn coat die under those rocks."

Her chest hurt, and she could feel tears sting her eyes. "Why? Why are you talking to me like this? I got thrown into the prison because of you! I thought you were my friend, I thought … I thought …," her eyes were watering now.

"That I liked you! Well I don't! In fact I should turn you over to them as the person you really are! Then they can catch the Avatar and this stupid war will finally be over!"

Katara shook her head and took a step back. "I can't believe I ever tried to help a jerk like you!" she cried. "I should have just walked away."

"Yes, you should," he said, his voice low and calm. He looked at her and then turned away, listening to the young girl rush off in a fit of sobs and wheezing. He licked his lips and wrapped his hands over his shoulders.

"Don't you think you were being a little too hard on her?" one of the men asked.

He turned to look at his father and looked down at his feet. "I think we both know why I did what I did," he said bitterly. "We were being listened too, though she didn't know it. I couldn't take the risk of putting her into too much danger."

"But in your angry little act you told her that you know she knew the avatar, do you know what they're going to do to her?" he looked at his son and turned away angry. "I brought you up better than that."

Haru looked at his father and back at where Katara had disappeared to. The moon filtered down on his yellow jacket, his brown hair. His heart pounded as he remembered how the Fire Nation squeezed the money from each villager their money. He remembered how hard it was when his mother took her son away from her, just like they had her husband. Her words, Katara's words, about how she had lost her mother, it drove at his heart.

"I told you your abilities Haru, I told you that you should always help those who are in need."

"And I did, and that's why I got caught."

"Now you are in the same position," he said. "Despite what happened, you still know right from wrong. Are you going to let Katara suffer?" It even caught him off guard. For a long time he had thought that he his hope was gone. But this girl who he had met on the court yard, she had brought that hope back. 

ZETOPA

The next day she was gone, vanished. They took her just as they had taken him, that's what he had thought, until there was a cry, of an intruder, and the guards raced forward to capture her, and her brother. His father implored her not to fight, and for a moment he had also hoped she would not. Then there was a rumble, and an ocean of coal shout out of the air, covering the sky and the clouds with it.

Haru looked in astonishment as Aang rode that wave and landed, holding his glider in a defensive position. Then he heard her words. "Heres your chance, Earth Benders," holding a pieace of coal. "Take it, your fate is in your own hands." People stepped away from her, their eyes wide with worry of what an insurection would bring. The warden wasn't the kindest of men, and they knew that if they lost, it would be worse than a waiting to go home until the war was over. It would mean certain death.

She stared at them, hoping her words had inspired, and felt crest fallen that all they did was look at her like scared little rabbits. Haru took a step forward, at first going to talk her out, but his father brushed him back, again concerned for the general safety rather than the girl, now that he knew she was unharmed.

The warden mocked her, told her how worthless Haru and the others were, told her what a fool she was for believing in them, and then in arrogance turned to walk away. He didn't even realize that the avatar, the greatest threat to the Fire Nation's war effort was in his own mist! Haru felt his chest burn, and he used his energies to pull three pieces of coal to his hands, swinging them around like marbles, and then flung one of them at the back of the warden's head.

Both Katara, and the warden stared at him. He looked at her for a moment and saw that she understood why he had said what he had the night before. The warden looked at him as if he had gone crazy, like a foolish dog who had bitten his master's hand. Worthless? Hopeless? I'm going to bring you down, old man. His emotions must have poured out from his body, because after he threw the first blow, the others seemed to crowd around them, their faces marked with bitterness, anger and repression too.

The warden struck, but was blocked by his father. The fight had begun.

Okay short chapter, I know, but I couldn't think of how to do this one any other way. The battle scene, which lasts only three or four minutes will be discussed a lot longer, in the next chapter, and of course this kiss will happen then too. And then to the final chapter after that, and one more surprise! 


	9. Chapter 9

Ziggy's Corner: Chapter nine! The fight between the Earth Benders and the Warden's men. Like I said in the last chapter, this chapter is going to have greater detail of the fight, so it seems a lot longer than what it was, and then on to the Haru/Katara kiss. Then onto chapter ten, and the end of the series! I've gotten a couple requests for a sequel, some asking me to write a story about their second kiss, some their best/worst kiss, and so far only one who suggested the seuqel I put forward, with one of the four titles. At the end of chapter ten I'll let you know what happens, so another reason to keep reading, Hazzah!

It began like a rush. The Fire Nation soldiers were stunned, and only took defensive positions to protect the warden, as most Earth Benders pushed back, trying to hide in the shadows, to not draw attention to themselves. Then the warden issued the command of attack, his anger and rage building up to protect his injured ego. The guards rushed forward, flames shotting from their fists as the few Earth Benders and Katara and her friends retreated a few steps.

"For the Earth Kingdom," Haru's father howled. His bravado returning, more and more of the prisoners rose up in defense of their beliefs. Stone, flame, water, and air, shot everywhere. Bodies dropped, people retreated, soldiers surged forward, and rebels pushed them back down to their original positions. Sokka joined in the fray as he swung his boomerang right and left, as if it were a sword, the tops of the Fire Guards' spears shot off as coal decapitated their weapons. Aang's flying lemuer dodged the missles, and clutched the spear tops in his paws, flying them off to where they could not do any damage.

A soldier darted toward Katara, his blade shining in the new morning's bright sunlight, and she dodged, ducked and sent him on his butt with a gust of water. It wasn't going to stop his determination, he rose to his feet, his eyes shining with darkness, and surged forward, but Haru had managed to force his way to the girl, slinging his coal stones like a modern day David versus Goliath. The soldier was tough, and unlike most of his comrades he didn't scare easily. With the skill of a person well trained in his line of work, he dodged their attacks, and brought his blade between them, to separate them, sending Haru to his back and Katara to her knees.

He had the eyes of a killer in his eyes, and had probably murdered more than he could remember, or wanted to. With each death he caused, a little bit of humanity erased from him, until he was nothing more that a killing machine. His lips pulled up into a grizzly grin of skeletal death, and he brought the blade down on her head, stopping as both Haru and Aang pulled him away with the power of their combined wills.

"Thanks," the girl said, pulling herself to her feet.

"I had some help," Haru said. He blinked and blushed as they stared at each other, amist the chaos of the fighting. "I wanted to apologize for my words last night."

"Now? Can't it wait?" she shrieked, sending another soldier off the platform, into the water.

"I was really worried that you might have been taken away when they heard you knew the Avatar," he said, sending two soldiers, knocking one into the side of the building, another one into the water down below.

The battle was intensifying, bodies were flying everywhere, mainly Fire Nation soldiers, but there were a few Earth Benders now, and as more guards raced to the fray, there were more and more bodies in the Earth Kingdom rebels falling.

Katara wanted to talk more, but the action was picking up, the sky was being bloated out by the coal, the flames and smoke, the cries of the men and women. She was beginning to break into a sweat, weaving and batting about, stopping this soldier or that, her muscles ached, and her head was pounding, but she was determined to help these people find their freedom now, just as she had managed to help them find their fighting spirit.

A female guard jutted forward out of the smoke, her red gloved fingers reaching out for her face. Katara edged backward, and clenched her fists, punching the woman, who seemed only slightly older than she was herself. The two flung backwards into ash brown shadows, and the young Water Bender could feel the guard slip her slender fingers over her neck, squeezing as she peered down to look into her face.

Her skin was lighter than Katara's, and her eyes were brown, instead of blue, and her hair was jet black, but other than that, she could have been the girl's mirror image. Her eyes were shaking, and her fingers unsure of what they needed to do, only the brainwashed lessons of her past forced the Fire Solider to continued pressing her digits into Katara's neck, and only Katara's necklace was protecting her from being completely strangled, as it interfered with the other girl's grip.

The other girl seemed to realize this, and tore her wrist free from Katara's hand, to pull out a blade, no doubt to make her job easier. Her face was blank, no twisted monstrosity of hate, no cruel smile, of what was about to happen. If there was any emotion, it was confusion, and perhaps a little bit of dread. She no doubt thought that if she didn't finish this fight now, the pseudo Earth Bender would use her "skills" to kill her.

Katara could hear Aang, Sokka, and Haru all call out to her, and realized in the dim of battle, the haze of horror that they couldn't have seen her even if she was just a few inches away. This is it? She had grasped the other girl's wrist again, and held it just over her own chest as the Fire Soldier tried her best to thrust the blade into her heart. She was sitting on top of Katara's waist, pinning her down with her own powerful legs. Her eyes were twitching, as if the battle of humanity and a murdereress was being wagged in her soul.

She swallowed, her mind calm as she knew what she had to do. It would take a few seconds, but she would have to more quick enough to confuse the other girl, to accomplish it. Katara released her grip, and knocked her hands toward her water bag at her hip. If this didn't work, if her fingers or hands didn't hit the lid just right so she could use her real talents, the blade would slip down, and Katara of the Water Tribe would be no more.

Her hand brushed against the lid, slipped it open, and she heard the familiar sound of water trickling out of the bag. Using what strength she had left, she formed the trickle into a small ball, and sent it soaring into her oppenant's eyes. It struck at the last second, as the blade had begun to tore into her dress, and the soldier squeaked, and pulled away, reaching for Katara's neck again for balance. The Water bender pulled away, and pressed the girl towards the shadows. "Stay down," she instructed, using some more water to pour down the other girl's face. "And don't rub, you'll get the ashes that was in the water to damage your eyes."

Katara turned and rushed back into the combat, using her skills to knock down a few more soldiers, and aided two Earth benders in taking down three snipers that had been making sport of their prey from on top of a tower. A large coal shaped like a wrecking ball swung up and knocked the tower down, taking the last advantage place for the guards to conduct the fight away from the enemy.

As soon as she could, she found that her brother, and Aang and Haru were leading a group of prisoners towards a large hole in the wall. Bodies of Fire soldiers littered the ground, their weak moans telling the girl that they were alive, and no longer a danger to anybody. His father issued the call to head for the boats, and many of the rebels were now racing for that hole, and for freedom.

"Haru," she called out. She ran forward, and he smiled at her, before a blast of fire caused him to scream in agony, and he dropped to his butt. She shrieked, and rushed toward him, but a gust of fire stopped her. She turned to see the girl who she had healed look at the two of them with confusion and bitternes.

"You are both under arrest," she said cooly. Her eyes were still shaking and she looked like she was ready to throw up. "Please stand down now, and everything will be easier for you."

"I helped you," Katara said.

"You attacked me," the other girl said, pulling her blade out. "Please, I don't want to kill you, but I will if I must." She looked down and spotted Haru forming a coal spear as slowly as he could. The Fire Soldier leveled the blade at him. "Cease your actions," she said, taking a more commanding tone of voice.

"You tried to attack me," Katara snapped, taking a step between them. "You tried to choke me, and then stab that blade into my chest. I was only defending myself."

"I was simply following orders," she barked, her red irritated eyes growing dark. "You should have never faught back, you should have just left well enough alone!"

"Don't you ever think for yourself?" Katara asked, raising her arms in a position of peace. "How many people could you hurt if you just accept orders without thinking about it?"

"Thinking about things like 'right and wrong' will get you killed in the battlefield," the girl growled, angry but still uncertain. "Obeying orders is the only way to stay alive."

"You didn't have to become a soldier at all," Haru said, his voice as heavy as a bolder. His hands were still forming the spear, despite Katara's obvious intentions of trying to stop him.

"This is not up for discusion," the girl said. "Surrender or I swear I'll kill you."

"I don't think you will," Katara said softly.

"Like you know what I really will do or not," the soldier scoffed. She raised her blade, and dropped to the ground as Sokka brought his boomerang down across the back of her head.

"Like I said," Katara whispered, "I don't think you will." She looked at her brother, her eyes thanking him.

"You're welcome," he answered. "Now, let's get out of here"  
By this time the remaining Fire Guards were rounded up along with their warden, and were hovering off the prison floor, right below the sea. The warden begged for mercy, claiming he couldn't swim, but Haru's father just looked at him.

"Don't worry, I hear that cowards float," he sniped, before dropping the warden and the remaining conscious guards into the water. Never intending on killing, he figured that the bully would hold on tight to his own men's shoulders, or the large pieces of coal that they sent him down with. If he was lucky, there would be a rescue sent for them within the hour.

ZETOPA

You never told us about this!

Sokka, you're foaming at the mouth, let Katara finish her story!

You mean finish making it up! That's what happens when you go blonde you know!

Sokka, shut up! You were the one who knocked the girl on her butt.

Er, wel.. That was a guy, not a girl!

That's not what you told me after the fight!

That was just to make you feel better. What? What do you want NOW Aang?

Katara has big log and she's going to hit you with it.

WHAT!

Bonk sound effect

OW…………

Okay, getting this story finished …

They stood at the edge of the boat, looking at the prison as it receded over the horizon. People were cheering, crying happily as they watched it vanish, as they saw the shores of their homes come ever so much closer. Haru and Katara stood there hand in hand …

YOU HELD HIS HAANNDDD?

Do you want me to hit you with a bolder this time?

They stood there, hand in hand, and looked at each other's eyes. There was a long moment of silence, before they spoke in unison. Laughing, she urged him to continue.  
"I want to say I'm sorry again," Haru said. "I really don't hate you, and …," he began twiddling with his fingers.

"And?" she asked with a smile.

He blushed and looked away for a second. "I really do think of you as a friend, all of you." He looked down at his feet. "You especially."

She blushed and looked down for a moment. "That's sweet," she said in a low tone.

Haru chuckled, and stroked the back of his head. "Th…anks." He swallowed and looked at her, more determined and brave. "Why don't you stay with us? We could use you for the fighting, to give us your strength."

"I didn't give you anything you didn't already have," she said, making him look into her eyes. "You had that strength all along, you just needed someone to reawaken it."

"Which is why we could use somebody like you," Haru said. Katara shook her head.

"You have somebody like that too," she said. She put a finger to his chest, and giggled as he blushed. "You have your path, your mission, but we, my brother Sokka and I, have ours. We have to help Aang get to the North Pole, to find a teacher."

"He really is him, isn't he?" Haru asked, looking at Aang. "The Avatar, I mean?" she nodded, and Haru felt a surge of power and respect for the boy. They had told him this earlier, before the guards came to arrest him at his mother's house, but he was sure that it was just something to impress him with at the time.

"It seems like anything is really possible now," the boy said. Katara nodded yet again.

Haru swallowed and looked at the girl, at her fair brown skin, her bright blue eyes. His heart pounded against his chest as he smelled the mixture of sea salt, the collective sweat of the group, of Katara's hair and skin. His tongue ran across his teeth, and he looked away. "I understand," he said. "I understad what you have to do, and I respect it. Maybe one day you can come back, and we can talk some more."

"I'd like that," she said with a small smile.

His body tightened again and he turned to her, smiling sweetly as he did. "Thank you for every thing you guys did for us," he said in a low voice. Katara giggled and looked at him, blushing a little.

"You already did that, you know?"

"But did I do this?" he asked, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounderies here. He turned to the girl, took her in his arms, and bent over, placing his lips on hers. She was shocked, but didn't fight it. A few seconds later he was rewarded as she put her hands on his shoulders, and kissed him back. They held each other for a few more minutes, until they heard his father clear his throat, and then pulled away, staring at the old man as he smirked at them.

"Thank you for your help," he chuckled, looking at Katara. "Rest assured, you and your friends are welcome in our village anytime you need or want to visit."

"Thank you," Katara said softly. It was then that she heard her brother's call, and turned toward Appa. She stopped for a second, looked at the boy, and blushed, "It was my first time," she called softly.

"It was mine too," he answered with a larger blush. They waved good bye, and Appa rose in the air, flying away.

ZETOPA

Sokka looked like he was going to puke, his skin green and pasty. "I thought you were red because of the sun, that's what you told us!" His stomach was turning knots at the thought of Haru kissing his sister. It could've been a worse first kiss, but it was obvious to him that Haru had taken advantage of her.

"I wasn't ready to tell you the real story," Katara snapped. "So sue me."

"I got a better idea, I'll sue Haru and his whole village," the boy snapped, rising to his feet in disgust. "The thought of him using you like that just ticks me off."

"Here we go again!" Aang said with a sigh.

Okay, this was shorter than I thought, but I liked the way the battle scene played out. If it had been larger like I wanted it to be, it would have lost some of the drama, I think. I apologize to any of you who wanted a larger story, but this was the best I thought it could go. Anyway, one last chapter, one last argument, and a surprise. Many of you probably see what's coming up next, but if not, kool! A lot of you will like it. Okay on the the tenth and final chapter! 


	10. Chapter 10

Ziggy's Corner: Okay this is the tenth and final chapter! Wow, it's finally over! I'm pretty sure (90 )there will be a sequel, and more than fifty percent sure there may be more than one sequel. I'm still waiting for the votes to be cast, but the title of the for sure sequel will probably be called Innocence Before Darkness, and a possible title for the Best/Worst kiss story I've been considering might be Kiss of Rain, Kiss of Shadows, mind you this is a working title, if anyone comes up with something better, and wants to suggest it, go ahead. Anyway, like the first, fourth, and seventh chapters, this one is going to be three pages long, so mainly its just a wrap up chapter, but one with a surprise! Know what it is? We' ll see!

"I can't believe that you let him kiss you?" Sokka roared, still freaked out. "My baby sister is a kissing machine, a floozy!"

The girl shot up and glared at him, "A floozy? How dare you!"

"Oh please, a normal big brother worries about tracking down one guy to beat the shit out of who kissed his little sister, you've given me what … four different guys! Luckily two of them are always on our butts, trying to kill us, but now it means I have to back track to get the other two dudes!"

"Yes, Sokka, kissing four guys makes me a floozy, why I just don't know what comes over me when I see a really fine guy, I just can't resist trying to pull him down the dark path of humanity!"

"You see, exactly, that's what I'm talking about," Sokka roared. "And it's all because of that damn Zuko!"

Aang looked at the other boy and frowned, "Wait, what? I thought it was Haru who kissed her first."

"It might have been Haru, but she kissed Zuko three times! That means that he led her to the dark side."

"Oh please, I already had five kisses in before I kissed him the first time," Katara growled, stomping a foot. Sokka and Aang looked at her like she was an alien.

"Five kisses! How many times did you kiss Haru!" Sokka asked, weak kneed.

"Just the one time," she snapped, turning away from the two boys.

Sokka began doing the math, and felt his pressure explode, "So you kissed Jet and Zhao twice each?" he nearly fainted.

"I kissed Jet once," she shuddered at the next words, "Zhao twice, but I don't want to talk about the second time." She shuddered twice, remembering his tongue slipping in her mouth, and her fighting the urge to bite down hard on it, had she, she would have put Aang and Sokka in danger again.

"So you've kissed eight times?" he asked in a stern voice. She blushed, and she knew she would wig him out, but that what kept her talking. "Twenty."

He nearly did faint that time, Aang could have been knocked down by a feather, and she was positive that Appa had pooed his pants, had Appa worn pants, Momo screeched and headed for an upper branch.

"Twenty times!" Aang roared, his jaw remaining on the floor.

"Oh shit, how many more guys am I going to have to track down now!" Sokka finally managed to shot out.

"You didn't tell us you kissed twenty other guys!" Aang barked.

"That's because I didn't," she said calmly. "Okay there was a secret kissing booth adventure I didn't mention, involving that Cabbage guy we keep running into, but the rest were," she shrugged and smiled. "With Zuko."

Sokka's mouth dropped, his eyes rolled back into his head, and this time he did faint. When he recovered a few minutes later, he was very irate. "You're lying right? You have to be lying," he grabbed her shoulders, and shook her, "Tell me you're lying."

She giggled, "Okay, it wasn't twenty kisses," she waited for him to exhale, "it's more like twelve, with Zuko way in the lead."

Sokka screeched like a little girl, and Aang fainted this time. "What have you been doing, making out every chance you get with that maniac!"

"He's really nice, and you'd be amazed by his poetry," she said with a smile.

"Yeah, that's just what guy's like that do," he tried to explain, "try to act all sensitive and coy so they can use the girl for something they …," she interrupted him in mid rant.

"Did I mention I'm carrying his baby?" she asked.

Sokka felt his skin flush, and he nearly fainted again, before she giggled and helped him put his head between his knees. Aang actually did faint yet again at what she said.

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist that," she giggled.

"Try harder," Aang moaned, waking up.

This was too much for Sokka. "This is what I was talking about with guys and girls before we started talking about our kisses," Sokka said. "Girls just can't be expected to control themselves here, they don't use common sense. There's nothing pure or sweet, or anything about this subject when talking about guys like Zuko, and girls like you who they like to use, Katara."

The girl frowned and took a step away from her pig headed brother. There was nothing indecent about how Zuko treated her, nothing wrong or cruel, despite his outward demeanor. "So you think you know so much about girls like me, and the guys who kiss them?"

"That's what I've been saying all this time," Sokka snapped.

Katara walked up to Aang, and looked him straight in the eyes. "And what about you?"

"Well, Sokka might getting a little protective on the issue," the boy began, "but I guess there's nothing wrong. You've never lied to me yet, so if Zuko is a good guy, you might be right," he said. He looked up at her and she smiled.

"Good answer," she said quickly, and put her lips on his. Zuko is sweet, and patient, but I've wanted to do this the first time I met you, Aang. They kissed for a long time, ignoring Sokka's wide eyed open mouthed stare. A cool breeze flowed around them, as they shut their eyes, and enjoyed the moment. This was different than when she had kissed Haru, or Zuko, but not much. It was like a combination, of peace and power, joy and love, happiness, and hope. It was like they were united in this way. When she pulled away, her eyes blurred, and she could tell so had his.

"Wow," the boy said, looking at her as soon as it dawned on him the kiss was over.

"Yeah," she said, holding her body, shocked and a bit pleased. She turned to Sokka and shrugged.

"Well, he's not too bad," the teenager said. "I guess it's not too wrong," he looked at Aang and sighed. "But I guess it means that I'll just have to put him on my list now."

Katara sighed as she whacked her brother in the back of his head, and the tree of them settled down for dinner, and for bed.

Surprise, surprise! Another guy to add to the list, and now Aang too! But I told you Kataang folks not to be too disappointed in this story, I made many references that this was going to happen. Did you expect it? How was it? I enjoyed working on this these last six months, and all your kind reviews and words. It amazes me how successful this was, considering that I really didn't have a plan of attack for it. It was kind of an exeriment, and I guess the experiment was a success! Thanks to all who took the time to read it, and please look for the sequel (sequels?) whenever they come out. Thanks and good night! 


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